Bite The Bullet
by NarutoAddict4Ever
Summary: He stares at me with a practiced glare, and I respond with a wide smile, only for him to struggle in holding his contempt in place before he smirks back. "Exactly; don't fight a losing battle Uchiha – that's lesson one." "You won't know unless you try, Kushina." "Boooooo! Cliché!" "You'd know a few, I'm sure." My smile drops as I raise an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
1. Reasons

**This diary belongs to:** Uzumaki Kushina

 **Inability to respect ones privacy is a sign of insecurity and weakness. Please return this journal if found unattended to, and/or in the hands of anyone other than:** Uzumaki Kushina

 **Full name** Uzumaki Kushina

 **Date of birth and age** 15th of July, 13 years old

 **Your best friends** Hyuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino

 **Your worst enemies** Kakashi-sensei at the moment

 **Likes** Listening to music, writing (apparently), cycling, colouring- not drawing, collecting stickers, swimming, acting dead while in a pool, climbing things, and food.

 **Dislikes** Being pressured into doing something I clearly hate, when the toppings on my pizza topple over, when I'm in the mood to eat cornflakes and I realize I'm out of milk, anyone who hasn't cried when Mufasa died, burning my tongue when I know for sure this food/drink is hot and I go on and do it anyway, hanging nails (ew), freaking sharing food with ANYONE, double-dipping unless I'm eating alone, .

 **Favourite food** Food. And no, you are not seeing things; my favourite food is food.

 **Least favourite food** Huh. I specifically asked if this stupid book had any errors but obviously they do.

 **Favourite drink** Anything fruit related, and anything chocolate related.

 **Least favourite** drink Coffee and tea (Gasp! Are you for real?!)

 **Favourite musicians/musician** Ugh, too many to count. Fall out boys, Mariana's Trench, Demi Lovato, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift in some cases, Evanescence, Destiny's Child, Avril Lavigne, Pink, T-pain, NeYo, Taio Cruz, Sean Kingston, etc. I also listen to Spanish, French and Italian music but let's not go too deep wih this.

 **Least favourite musicians/musician** I'd say Justin Beiber, but I consider him an unidentified-abomination-thing.

 **Favorite candy** Ah I can't pick just one. Chocolate, skittles, gummy bears and many more.

 **Least favorite candy** Another printing error.

 **Favorite animal** CATS!

 **Nastiest animal** Monkeys, because they're annoying (I've discovered Temple Run).

 **Your hair and eye colour, and other physical features** I have this odd feeling that someone with a stalkerish background made this book, because I see no reason why I should include this; I've already wrote enough.

EXTENSION: Kakashi-sensei forced me to add this on so- I am a redheaded, blue-eyed girl. You may find me in many locations, but I'm always ignoring something or the other; a good enough trait you could say. I have a brother, Uzumaki Naruto who I bet you know since he is well acquainted with THE WORLD. The rest, you shall find out soon enough.

12th of September, 2007

Hello me-of-the-future, I have several doubts that I'm going to turn out like I wish to, ten years from now, and you could say this is partially the reason why I agreed to this in the first place. I want to see for myself how much I have changed, and so this book would be stowed away after a year or so of entries for you to read. The other reason why I'm doing this is because Kakashi-sensei, my English teacher, noticed how "amazing" I did my essays and whatnot and asked if I ever considered becoming a writer.

I obviously answered, "Hell no," like the annoying twelve year old I once was, and he continued to pester me about it until it came down to "I don't even know what to write!" and he suggested this crap (I'm getting away with this word, it is to be expected). I must "Get a grasp of what YOU are yourself before you can make up a world," so now I'm stuck writing in this thing and have no way out. And I literally mean no way out; if I attempted suicide, he'd stick a pen and some paper in my grave and wait until I sucked it in and made up some stories. I also felt slightly guilty that he had taken a whole year to persuade me, so if you're reading this Kakashi-sensei, I hate you.

And I am in no way caring if someone gets their hands on this, because like dude, I am practically an open book and most of the stuff that's going to fill these pages, I am in no way ashamed of. So read on and just make sure you return it. Thank you.

God I'm not even sure if I'd remember to write every single day; I have a freaking life so…

I'm tired.

 _Lesson of the day: You are going to want to give up. DON'T._


	2. 1

14th of September, 2007, Friday.

Well look at that, I'm still writing in this….

So today wasn't sooo eventful- boring orientation programs, yawn-worthy speeches from last years' freshman graduates, etcetera etcetera…

And somehow, Kakashi-sensei started working in our high school, formerly a middle school English teacher, and though most people haven't noticed anything amiss I SWEAR HE HAS THIS EVIL TWINKLE IN HIS EYE AND I KNOW HE FREAKING HAS HIDDEN MOTIVES! I am on to you dude -.-

I, along with four random students that were put under the temporary watch of some sophomore have experienced mental trauma (or maybe it's just me). I couldn't be bothered to remember his name so let's just call him UGH for now.

We were waiting for UGH to come and show us around the school, as have other sophomore students went by their designated five freshmen, and he happened to be a tad bit late. A minute stretched to two then three and then all of a sudden the sun was setting. School had ended about two hours ago.

Let's just say I found another enemy.

Actually scratch that, I wouldn't even dream about psychotically torturing another human being no matter how wronged I was.

But UGH, I want to-

For all our benefits, I'm leaving that blank.

So anyways, those eight hours forced unwanted interactions- and I mean the other four started mingling and at occasions hinted that I should join them. Now most of us came from different middle schools, so I wasn't familiar with anyone other than this kid called Kiba, brunette, dog-loving troublemaker is my depthless description of him. I soon learnt the other three's names _completely unwillingly._

One was a really shady character, named Shino if I'm correct, who spoke, unlike myself, in monotonous descriptions. He was the most tolerant of the three though.

Another was some type of bipolar pixie, whose name is currently unknown because she didn't strike me as someone I'd click with and her name was not repeated enough for me to remember. She had long, pink hair and jade eyes so I was a little relieved I wasn't the only one with exotic looks (and to be honest, she's much more attention grabbing than I). She was constantly spouting nonsense to some other boy "Sasuke-kun", as I caught from the numerous times she said it (more like every time she opened her mouth, which wasn't seldom). He looked kind of ostentatious to me, with his weird hairstyle and vampire-inspired looks, like he kind of saw the attention coming and did nothing to stop it.

Unlike me.

I had _methods_ that are pretty obvious and efficient and I still don't see it done very often.

Earphones people!

I was unfortunately (bleh!) perceived as a loner/outcast which I actually kind of preferred, because I hate attention. Why would I purposely put myself in "Sasuke-kun's" position? I have my whole life ahead of me and shit so why should I write my own death wish?

They sat in a semicircle, and I had comfortably occupied a table two rows away, and had earphones on to indicate I was not up for small talk. But you know why I'm as evil as Naruto says?

I wasn't listening to music half the time.

Gotta' find out weaknesses for future blackmail references, no matter how farfetched that sounds. I've learnt-

"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun look at me! I'm right here!"

"He is watching Kushina, because she looks uninterested and has kept her distance, for she prefers to be alone…."

"OI DON'T TALK ABOUT HER BEHIND HER BACK!"

"Well she should've introduced herself!"

I don't know how Shino found out my name though. Kibble told him maybe?

So, long story short, because UGH didn't show up at all and the sun started setting, I got up and left, praying that he wouldn't show after I left and did the touring tomorrow.

Tomorrow's going to be crazy I presume.

 _Lesson of the Day: You're not a loner; you just enjoy your own company._


	3. 2

17th of September, 2007, Monday.

Guess who made a new enemy today!

Actually, it's just UGH, which you must have known he was _already_ considered an enemy so…

But UGH is actually a GIRL! That's right, an UGHess.

Her name, as she so bossily announced, was Tsuchi Kin. Black hair, black eyes, too overbearing-

And like any girl I've met so far; she developed some sorta infatuation with "Sasuke-kun". Now, she didn't necessarily throw herself at him like Sakura (I found out her name), but I could see she was interested in him.

So anyways, here's what happened:

"Introduce yourselves."

"I am Haruno Sakura, it's nice to-"

"Next!"

"Hey I'm not done-"

"Don't care princess. I said _next!_ " her eyes settled on me, and I was so close to snapping at her rudeness. You're only allowed to be rude to people who deserve it, not someone like Sakura. She's annoying yes, but that doesn't define her.

"Ahem!" she emphasized, still staring at me as I gave her a pitiful look. "Do you want a detention on your first day?!" she snarled.

"Oh no," Kiba muttered.

"This isn't the first day, you are _not_ the boss of me, and you being a year elder does not give you _any power over us_ !"

The room went silent, except for Kiba who was telling Shino "I told you,".

"Your name?" she asked a little too calm after a pause, though I was a hundred percent sure she'd tell a teacher or something- also I was on bulldozer mode, so I could do nothing but to fight back.

"She wants to die!" Kiba whispered loudly to Shino.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Kushina, I enjoy long walks in the beach and taking candy from babies!" I said in the whiniest voice I could muster, before dropping the act and glowering. "Do you want a friendship bracelet too?"

"Please don't answer,"Kiba turned to Kin with a slightly pleading look, "For your own good; I know her and she's too stubborn to back down,"

"I'm S-sakura!" she interrupted Kin who looked like she'd explode. "I-I-It's nice to meet you Kushina!"

"Likewise," I nodded, and she sighed before beaming.

"Aren't you supposed to show us around?" Sasuke asked, and thanks to his mad manipulative influence, Kin proceeded to give us a tour.

Well I hung at the back, mostly looking around so I wouldn't get lost next time and surprisingly, Sakura joined me.

But she asked me a lot of questions. Emphasis on a lot. And I answered as politely and as concise as possible.

She's pretty okay so far; not someone I'd avoid or something- kinda like Naruto or Kiba, tolerable and good company mostly (though I wouldn't tell either of them).

And the craziest thing I found in my bag after school was a note. Now I specifically remember not even opening by bag the whole day, or anyone for that matter who'd give me a note, no less-

 _ **Do you like me?**_

Who the flipping shortcakes would slip such a note in my bag? Moreover, not mention a name or initials or anything I could deduce who it is! How am I supposed to answer that when I don't even know who's asking?!

I stuck the note in this book so Kushina-of-the-future could laugh about, which I probably will, and who knows? Maybe I'll get a boyfriend and show him how popular I was.

Hah. Boyfriend.

Hah. Popular.

 _Lesson of the day: You're too difficult for anybody, so don't settle for just anyone._

 _ **EXTENSION** : Date someone who will take up the challenge with sheer stubbornness._


	4. 3

"OI NARUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTOOOOOO!" I yelled while running downstairs. "DID YOU SEE MY-"

"See what?" he asked from the cup ramen he was slurping. I recoiled. No way was I going to tell him I kept a diary. Not proper information you should give your brother under any circumstances.

"H-have you seen….." I pinched my palm in thought; what to say…..what to say… "My cellphone!" I randomly bursted.

"…you don't have a cellphone Kushina,"

"Oh…..never mind then…."

I took the stairs two at a time and sighed rather loudly. Where the hell did I put the stupid thing!

Too much bullshit happened today, and I did not intend to stay up late writing the whole thing. Maybe I could shorten it, and save time? Damn I'm hungry…

 **TWO MINUTES LATER**

Well now I have a sandwich and my diary. That's right; I found it in the fridge with the tomatoes! No wonder Naruto didn't see it….

I locked the door to my room and pulled out a timer. I set the timer to one hour before racing to the bathroom. I usually time myself whenever I get ready for bed or school (since we all know how popular I am). This helps when I don't want to get up too early for school so I sleep in until about an hour is left which I can get ready in and not be late.

I grabbed a brush and went through my mid-back length hair, smiling triumphantly when I noticed I still had thirty minutes left.

"Say my name say my name," I hummed. "When no one is around you, say ice cream I love you," I shook my head. "Gonna die as a cat lady, yet I'm still proud…"

I eyed my diary. Gotta start writing if I want to sleep.

 _One two three four, I counted as I passed the shoe-locker room after exchanging shoes and ignored the odd looks I was receiving from a few there. Five six seven eight nine ten. I count whenever I get this urge to say something on my mind, which I'm sure, would give me unwanted attention. I really like being perceived as a loner; everybody would bug you otherwise. Seventeen eighteen and I'll leave this place with my diploma and hopefully be valedictorian so I could insult the very life force of this school. I already had my speech pre-prepared._

" _Hey Kushina-chan!"_

 _I turned around and faced Sakura, who was beaming as per usual. She had a red ribbon tied to her hair which I probably didn't notice before._

" _Hi dude, no need to be so formal," I responded, before making my initial exit. "You coming?" I asked when she didn't follow me._

" _Tsuchi Kin asked us to meet her at lunch," she spoke up after she fell into step with me._

" _What does she want?"_

" _She didn't say,"_

 _I didn't have to go; her job ended when she gave us a tour._

" _Earth to Kushina!" I snapped my eyes to her, and raised a brow when she huffed. "I was trying to grab your attention for two minutes!"_

" _Sorry,"_

 _She sighed before smiling slightly. "This is our first class; I'm soo excited! I hope I get a seat next to-"_

 _She closed her mouth once her eyes landed on what I presumed to be a large crowd of girls bickering over who got to sit with Sasuke. I walked ahead and the group parted quietly when they saw me and let me pass. What was I, the plague?!_

" _Thirty-two, thirty-three," I mumbled to myself as I sat behind Sasuke. He seemed to straighten up, as if he was uncomfortable or something, before slouching again and staring out the window._

" _How dramatic," I muttered._

 _The teacher stepped in and-_

" _Sorry I'm late class; I got lost on the road of life."_

 _Oh no._

 _His lone onyx eye crinkled in a way which I knew to be he was smiling under his mask, as he scanned the faces of his students. I slumped down as slow and subtle as possible so he wouldn't notice me- and he saw me!_

" _Well there's going to be a seating arrangement according to your last names!" he announced after the little stare down. "Please pay attention,"_

" _Uchiha, Uzumaki and Yamanaka; here-" he pointed. I sat down first, followed by Ino who was bouncing with joy over what, I didn't know._

" _Guess who's sitting with us!" She whispered quickly as she slid across from me._

" _Who?" I honestly would've preferred Hinata, but she was all the way at the opposite side of the room with Sakura and Kiba. I at least got Ino and wasn't completely with people I didn't know._

 _The chair next to mine screeched and when I looked, my eyes caught Sasuke's. He didn't look away and continued to stare, until I broke eye contact and turned to Ino, concluding that he was beyond weird. Ino was batting her eyes at him and I sighed slightly in disappointment._

" _The point of this seating arrangement was for assignments or group work, so stare hard at your seat mates and get used to them because there will be no changes made."_

 _You have got to be kidding me. I probably had the most dysfunctional group in the room! I know Ino very well and although she's smart, she'd probably require a lot of coaxing if I ever wanted her to help me; don't get me started about the weirdo next to me._

" _Your first assignment as of now is to get acquainted with your group, while I catch up on-" he pulled out a very familiar book._

" _Stupid Kakashi," I mumbled under my breath._

" _I'm Uchiha Sasuke," he announced as soon as everyone started to mingle with their groups._

" _Oh I know who you are Sasuke-kun; I'm Ino if you don't already know!"_

 _A pregnant pause and I was sure they were both looking at me oddly. I slumped down and exhaled through my nose._

" _Kushina," I said._

" _Are you Naruto's sister?" he asked._

" _Yes…."_

" _You remind me of a tomato," he mumbled before reclining in his seat._

 _Breathe in, breathe out._

 _Oh who am I kidding!_

" _I'm sorry I don't walk around like a vampire-wannabe!"_

" _Uzumaki Kushina!" Ino roared as loud as she could without attracting attention._

" _He started it!" I defended, wincing slightly when it sounded kind of childish._

" _That is no way you should talk to someone you just met," she scolded, while I gave a disbelieving look._

" _What the hell are you saying?!"_

 _She smirked. "I'm thinking of acting; how was it so far?"_

" _Your so-" I groaned while folding my arms. "This is such a dysfunctional group."_

" _EH?!"_

" _Miss Yamanka, quiet."_

 _Ino grumbled and mimicked my slumped posture, and then I noticed something by the window-_

 _A silhouette ran off as soon as I looked, and I narrowed my eyes in suspicion; who was that?_

" _What're you looking at?" Sasuke leaned in front and tried to look over my shoulder, a little curious when I sat straight and no one was there._

 _I didn't really respond since I didn't know myself, and he didn't prod any further so the topic was dropped like that._

 _Ino continued to chat with him, and I found myself slowly tuning them out and looking around the room. Sakura was glowering jealously at Ino, Hinata and Kiba were most probably playing Tic Tac Toe since they were bent over staring at a paper between them. Shikamaru was asleep, Choji was snacking and Shino was reading a book. Naruto must have been in the office or something._

 _I wasted no time when the bell dismissed the class, and was the first to leave through the door. I had gym next, judging by the slip between my fingers, and that would be on the west wing of the school, so why was I going east?_

 _I turned around abruptly and almost bumped completely into Sasuke, though our belongings were not so fortunate. I sighed loudly and bent down to gather my stuff._

" _Apologies dude," I spoke when he started picking up his stuff. "My bad,"_

" _Hn," he grunted, which I was not expecting but at least there is no awkward conversation. The other students practically avoided us completely as they were walking to their next classes, again surprising me since he was extremely popular._

" _What activities are you taking?"_

" _Uhhh," was my intelligent answer, followed by furrowed eyebrows._

 _He rolled his eyes at my reaction, before turning around and walking away._

" _Martial arts!" I yelled at his retreating figure before spinning on my heels and not waiting for him to respond. I got to the locker rooms for the girls and, as usual, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me like I just committed murder._

 _The next two classes drug by relatively slowly, until it was lunch and I had yet to eaten the Mars I had in my locker, since I stood along with Sakura waiting for Tsuchi Kin._

" _If she thinks I'll wait around idly," I complained while adjusting my weight onto my right leg. "She's so wrong,"_

" _Look on the bright side-" Sakura paused as if in contemplation, before frowning._

" _Couldn't find anything positive?" I asked smiling when she shook her head sheepishly._

" _What're you two laughing about?"_

 _Tsuchi Kin, along with two other boys who stood behind her, regarded us with unexplainable annoyance. Her hair was in a tight bun and her uniform was prim, but not as prim as Sakura's._

" _We have a project on The Digestive System due tomorrow, and I will be expecting it over and done with by tonight."_

 _Sakura's face drained of colour and I was busy trying to make reason of what she told us to do. Seeing as she looked dead-serious, that she wanted the both of us to do her or their work, I turned to Sakura in question._

" _Is there any problem,_ Uzumaki-chan _?" she asked in a sugar-laced tone, and the two goons behind her smirked when Sakura subconsciously grabbed my hand in fear._

" _I would do it truth be told," I said while tightening my hold on Sakura. "Buuuuut since that clearly is none of our business-"_

 _I tugged Sakura before making a mad run for it. They gave chase might I add, and were really fast too, so I dragged Sakura to the safest place I could think of at that moment under pressure,_

 _Kakashi-sensei's class._

 _Thank god he remained in his class at lunch hour, and didn't bother to lock the door. We pushed in noisily, though he remained calm and only regarded us with amusement, before the three sophomores caught up and followed us in thinking nobody was there._

" _Yes?" the three sophmores froze. "Can I help you lot?"_

" _Erm, we were just playing a game! Yeah and we were having a blast before our new_ _ **friends**_ _ran off without warning!"_

" _Is that so?" he directed this question to Sakura and I._

" _They were bullying us!"_

 _I stared respectfully at Sakura, who blushed and looked away. I didn't think she'd stick up for herself at all._

 _They were to stay and clean up after school for a week, and apologize to us, which was kind of harsh for someone like Kakashi-sensei who believed in writing punishments._

 _Lunch was already over by now and my Mars bar remained wrapped and untouched in my locker. I stared at it for a few seconds, contemplating if I could engulf it quickly, before shaking my head and pulling out World History. A note fell from between the pages and I scoffed at it before reading,_

 _ **You have captured my attention.**_

" _What in the actual heck?" I mumbled while scrunching up the paper._

I was not satisfied with this day as much as I wanted, and I just wasted twenty minutes of valuable sleep time. After rubbing my eyes tiredly, I threw the diary to the ground and switched off the lamp on my nightstand. Oh, and the lesson of the day was-

 **LESSON OF THE DAY:** **Pulling someone down will never help you reach the top.** __


	5. 4

According to the school s curriculum, the freshmen students had to circulate between the mandatory subjects for the first semester until they were allowed to choose between options, however, the school provided extra-curricular activities that could be taken up by choice and dropped only after a month if one wanted to change. Those activities ranged from academic help like peer tutoring to interests such as sewing, so in order to get settled, it was announced that the freshmen were allowed two days trial.

"Did you decide on anything?" I asked Hinata as we studied the lists on her table.

"Father wanted me to join the Debate Club," I snorted at this. Trust Hiashi Hyuga to force his daughter s confidence. "And I might consider Ceramics and the Life Sciences Club. Have you decided?"

"I've been hyped on Martial Arts since enrolling in this school, but nothing else has so far caught me."

Hinata smiled as she passed over her lists. "They have a writing club."

"Oh not you too!"

"I think Hatake-sensei is right," she admitted, glancing at the clock and noticing class was supposed to start five minutes ago. I followed her line of vision and raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Kurenai-sensei to be late at all. Almost all the students were prancing about the class and being obnoxious.

"I don't really enjoy sharing things," I spoke up, scrutinizing the list between my fingers. "Art Club is an option now. I can express myself without words."

One of the reasons why Hinata was my friend was because she was so humble and thoughtful. You could always trust her to keep secrets and she didn't talk about others or force conversations because she was a little shy, something that we both shared and found mutual understanding in. Her main priorities were excelling as much as she could so we normally addressed proper issues like both our living circumstances and schoolwork. I had to endure mine and Naruto's guardian, Jiraiya, who disappeared on some days to do research for his next work, and she had a prodigious family who tended to shun almost anything remotely human. I couldn't decide which one of us had it worse.

The door slammed open so abruptly, it caused a mini-heart attack to no doubt not only me. Hinata was clutching her chest and her eyes were squinted, and I heard rather than saw everyone scrambling to their seats. It was so quiet, I could hear myself breathing, and I was sure this was not the type of quiet I would grow to like.

The man that walked in had an impressive stature, dark hair long and spiky with a bang covering his right eye and carried nothing but a ruler. His visible eye was slanted, otherwise having a depth-less obsidian hue, and the way he scrutinized every flinch was chilling.

"Stand," he commanded in a rich baritone. Everyone hoped to their feet without the slightest bit of hesitation, and Hinata's head was downcast as she stood, assuming she was intimidated, so I suddenly disliked this new person.

Formerly standing by the teacher's desk, he bypassed it and slowly regarded every student there. I watched them look away when his eyes landed on them, and scoffed. They had no reason to grovel some random person no matter how intimidating they looked. Where was there dignity? Hinata at least looked at him as well, albeit she flinched when he got to her. Good. At least I wasn't the only one. I neither flinched nor showed any interest when his eyes met mine, but it lasted more than I assumed was necessary, I started to get uncomfortable and looked to the _side_ , not down. I still felt the pressure of his eyes like a thousand suns even after a moment, before he finally turned around and stared at the messy chalk board filled with last Friday s notes.

"I do not tolerate ineffectual students, so I highly suggest you do your part," he turns around again. "Everybody sits, except you," he pointed the ruler at a poor fool. Maybe they were standing out or doing something unacceptable. Or, they did absolutely nothing wrong and were dying at the scrutiny of not only blatant staring, but having no way to divert it.

Did I mention I was on the other end of the ruler?

My fingers clenched as everyone besides me sat down, and I could see the look of despair on Hinata's face from my peripheral vision.

"Name?"

"Uzumaki Kushina," I answered, forcibly nonchalant.

He turns away and walks to the desk, and I stand there more awkward now, wondering if I should sit or not. He didn't necessarily say he was done and he'd probably snap if I did without permission, but like hell was I going to ask. I'd rather face anything than get uncalled permission. He pulls out a duster and cringes a little, before approaching me. I sucked in a breath when he stood towering over me with the duster held out. I took it and I started to erase the board quickly.

"From now on, Uzumaki is the class representative."

 _ **WHAT!?**_

My hand subconsciously went faster and more violent.

"What?!" screeched a girl, one that I silently began to pray for. I don't know who she is since I was still half-way done, but I guess she must have been the original class rep. "You can't do that! We already had an election and Kurenai-sensei approved of me." I swear to god I've never felt so grateful in my entire life. I need to hunt down this girl and thank her with a gift basket.

It was eerily quiet for a while, enough to allow me to get to my seat and stand (not sit, as I could feel the extremely dark aura from him and thought better not get even more embarrassed). I didn't even look behind to see the girl s face.

"Did your... teacher by any chance give you authority over other students?" His voice was so calm, it chilled me. I took it upon myself to look at her, as I felt somehow responsible for this, but I could not locate her, as everyone had the same look of terror, as if they were all being addressed.

"Uzumaki," he called, and I turned to face him. "Besides cleaning the board, handing out and collecting papers, and fixing my desk, you are given the authority to hand out detentions as well as suspensions," I let my shock show; I wouldn't be able to hide it even with years of experience. "Although it would be appreciated if you run it by me first."

No way was I going to do that. Surely the other kids would know? What kind of psychopath would give a student so much power?

"You may sit."


	6. 5

_One would assume that after a while of sudden occurrences would put the protagonist in a situation, though perceptibly unfavorable, where he or she would be the biggest thing that has walked on school grounds. This cliche has past the level of ultimate cliche-ness and has now adjusted to a level better known as the norm. Yes, you heard it here my friends, I'm calling out this thing that has now been shipped off to 'norm' camp and is now completely acceptable! My freaking -_

I threw the pen on my desk and stared wide-eyed at my notebook. I looked around and found that I was still in the chemistry lab and everyone was taking notes, something I should have been doing if it were not for the utterly lame funk I was in. As of recently, I have been on what you call a roll. I started writing in my 'diary' more often, to the point where I am mentally relaxed when I pour out my feelings with ink and paper than any other past time I had before. But the issue that has ensued and caused this sudden relief in the form of paperback is that, nowadays, I'm erm, getting noticed more? For lack of a better word.

I do not really understand it myself. Since that day Madara Uchiha announced that I was to be his lap dog, things have taken a slight turn to the annoying. First of all, he's now a permanent member of the school teaching staff, filling in for Kurenai-sensei as apparently, some people found out news that she resigned due to pregnancy. Rumors have been flooding the school that she and Asuma-sensei, the Chemistry teacher, had a thing going on, but as I've made it clear, I'm not that interested in rumors. That don't regard myself. I tend to not listen to them and take them at heart, but when it goes to the point where people assume that I am mean enough to use this new authority Madara(sensei, I should start adding that soon) bestowed upon me, it stings just a little. Like honestly, if I did use it, wouldn't that make me an attention whore? Did I not mention several episodes where I loved the art of blending in? I would like to be known as the girl who verbally burnt the school after hiding like a chameleon for four years. Being the anonymous valedictorian-to-be is my goal, not shamelessly give out detentions like I have nothing better to do.

I do the basic things for him, like clean the board and hand out papers, but since everybody is pissed scared of the man's wrath, the only remotely significant scenes that go on in class are him and I interacting, and everyone else acting like they are the ones who are in a horror movie when _I am the victim_. I am. Yes. It was so bad, this kid who was scared to ask for a restroom pass freaking pissed on himself and is now referred to as 'Kurine' behind his back. His name is Kuro. And what did Madara do? He regarded the wet, crying boy for a grueling minute, before turning away to continue writing notes in his extremely neat handwriting and said, "Uzumaki, hand him a hall pass." It has gotten so bad recently, that he refuses to directly interact with the other students and makes me give out tests. Tests which I am _also_ taking. Tests which I correct after he checks mine. TESTS!

That isn't even the worst part. Since my notorious escapades have gone viral, I have been pursued by people I never knew even existed, I'm talking insignificant side characters who appear and have no purpose in the overall plot. Why? Why do I have to go on this roller coaster of unfamiliarity and confusion? I tried asking around (meaning Ino) to know if the abomination of a History teacher did this to his other classes, and so far she's told me his lap dog in their class was Sasuke. She had no further information on the matter (or, as she whispered before she took off, Madara could hear everything). Great. Now I had the vampire wannabe as my supposed accomplice.

Moving on from my annoying situation. I seem to be getting more credit and more attention these days, it's a total nightmare. Let's start from last week, when the first martial arts class took place.

Insert flashback.

I was in the midst of staring at the atrociously bland gym clothes, when someone tackled me from behind. I would have administered my elbow onto their ribs, if it were not someone I was kind of acquainted with.

"I thought I was the only girl here but thank god you're here too!" Sakura squealed as she hugged the living daylights out of me. She had an extremely tight hold might I add.

"Sak...ura..." I choked, before pulling away and coughing. I do not think she noticed my struggle to breathe since she skipped off and claimed a stall to change.

After pulling on the shorts and top assigned, I hung my clothes next to Sakura's, tied my hair up and pulled on a white band to hold it out of my face. It was a little cold and each time any of us spoke, our voices carried on loudly throughout the empty locker rooms. But as soon as we stepped out onto the gymnasium, the obvious smell of several boys in one place (being cheap deodorant and slight sweat) settled in the air. I felt Sakura shy behind me when the boys present turned to stare, but I gave it no thought as I claimed a spot a little away from them and slid down to wait for the captain.

"Hey Kushina," Sakura sat cross-legged across from me. "Why did you pick Martial Arts? As self-defense?"

"Not to sound arrogant, but I can take care of myself," I quipped dryly. "In fact, I chose this because it's something I'm kind of familiar with."

"Oh," she resigned, chewing her bottom lip. "To be fair, I kinda thought you were a..." I raised an eyebrow. "A brute..."

"A brute!" I laughed uncontrollably, attracting weird looks, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Sakura though, flushed in embarrassment.

"Everyone on your feet."

I couldn't help but giggle as we walked towards the others, earning a scowl from the captain-

Hinata's cousin?

"My name is Neji Hyuga, and I am your captain. We will start with basic sparring matches so partner up and begin."

I sighed as I turned to Sakura, and she smiled wondrously before pulling me to a mat.

"Have you trained before?" I asked as we started stretching across from each other, though we would have completely blended in with the rest if it were not for the fact we were the only girls.

"Not really, but I have read all the books in the library that had to do with martial arts," she beamed while doing some torso twists. "And I am willing to learn anything."

"What are you two doing?"

We turned to see the captain scrutinizing us, his arms folded across his chest.

"I thought that torso twists were an acceptable method of stretching," Sakura admitted, before stopping when he narrowed his eyes at her. It struck a cord in me as usual.

"Are we not supposed to stretch before sparring?" I asked matter-of-factually, looking at him like he was queer. I could see he was somewhat like Hinata's father.

"Uchiha!" Neji called, dismissing us by turning around. My eyes widened comically. This should be good.

Sasuke stood next the Hyuga with his hands in his basketball shorts and a bored look etched on his face, and I didn't need to look straight at Sakura to know she was squealing.

"Teach them some basic self-defense moves."

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

"Excuse me?" I bursted fiercely, waiting for him to take it back. He merely raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem?"

"Are you honestly _implying_ that we can't handle sparring like the rest of you?"

Neji looked around, his arms behind his back before he regarded me again. "I would not want to be held responsible if you hurt yourself."

Sakura stepped away from the same time Sasuke stepped away from Neji, and I was balancing on a very thin string of self-control.

"You think that _we_ are not capable enough to be _here_?" I asked in disbelief, praying that he'd realize his mistake and steer this away before I exploded.

"Now that you mentioned it, I was questioning _why_ you where here."

Tick.

" _What millenia are you from you sexist pig?_ " I exploded in rage, attracting everyone's attention before they stopped sparring to watch. Neji narrowed his eyes.

"I would not test my patience girl."

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick TICK.

"I am _this close_ ," I emphasized, "To wiping your face all over this gymnasium if you so much as _say_ one more word to me. I don't need _self-defense_. I don't need _help_. What I really need is for _you_ to _BACK off_."

He smirked condescendingly. "If you do not like a captain telling you what to do, I suggest you leave along with your friend."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" I balled my hands to my sides in attempt to not punch his lights out because I was really itching to shove soap down his throat.

"You seem to have a big mouth, unlike your friend," Sakura hid behind Sasuke, who looked like he was too engrossed in us to notice her. "But since I believe in being fair," I scoffed at this. "I'll allow you to prove yourself. Punch me."

I raised my eyebrow, "Are you serious?"

"As serious as I'll ever be. You punch me here," he pointed a thumb to his now puffed out chest. "And if I don't flinch, you'll leave and sign up for something else."

"Hyuga," Sasuke interjected in a warning tone. I regarded him before facing Neji with a smirk of my own.

"Alright then..." I looked around. The other boys were all over the place on their own mats, watching us with interest. "I gotta warn ya, I've been told I pack quite a punch."

Sakura looked scared. Sasuke looked forlorn.

He chuckled humorlessly. "By who, your father?" he mocked.

"One," I announced, cutting this conversation short and stretching my fingers. He stood at attention. "Two," I twisted my fist slowly. He braced his chest. "Three."

I connected my fist to his chest in a flash of speed and brute strength, he not only stumbled but flew a little away and landed on his back. Sakura and Sasuke, as well as the rest of the boys there stared in shock. Neji looked disoriented. I blew at my fist before letting it drop to my side, sending the captain a pointed look.

"Sakura and I will be leaving now, to save you from embarrassment, but know we will be back next meeting and it's not going to be for _self-defense_."

I caught Sakura's hand and pulled her out of the gymnasium, ignoring everybody there watching me like I was from another planet.

End.

It could be presumed that I caused this upon myself, somehow, but I doubt that I deserved attention from people I don't associate with as well. Like Sasuke for example. He's been more keen on staring at me every English class, despite Ino's ostentatious ways that could probably attract anything that had eyes, and now I thought of him a little more. He basically forced himself into my thoughts. Amazing. As if my life wasn't any crappy to begin with.

"Oi Choji! Be careful with that-"

My eyes widened as he dropped some powder onto the bubbling test tube, and before it could go red and explode, I stood up and snatched it from the stand, then chucked it out the open window.

"Get down everyone!"

The mixture exploded outside, while some red goo splattered all over the window sill. I got up from my crouched position and stared at the mess with a crinkled nose.

"Good thinking Kushina," Asuma-sensei remarked, unknowingly forcing everyone's attention on me as he smiled. "You seem to be awake during these things."

I tried to keep my face nonchalant, instead of annoyed at myself for not ignoring it in the first place. I mean, we learnt this stuff before and nobody thought it would explode?! Why am I such a-

"Thank you Kushina," Choji spoke up, sending me a sheepish smile, and I sighed before nodding and muttering a, "No prob."

I slid down my seat and pulled out my notebook, feeling the need to vent and vent until I couldn't come up with a combination of twenty-six letters anymore. It seemed like I would never find peace outside of it.


	7. 6

_The man struggled on the chair frantically, hot tears striking down his cheeks as a sudden lurch of energy washed over him, but he had not noticed this as one thought kept blaring in his mind; if he did not unbind himself right now, his soul would be no more. The clink of a gun echoes in the dreary room, droning out the man's screams and pleads, then it is sluggishly lifted to be aligned with his head. His heart jolts as he pulls the trigger and the bullet's momentum forces the man's head back, embedding itself onto his forehead, and after recovering, he watches the man with sick fascination while his blood gushes out in five different thin streams, like a sprinkler. He realises he had not even flinched when he shot the man dead, and smiles a cruel smile as he mumbles the words -_

 _"I warned you not to look at her."_

"I see you have taken up my passion of writing too."

I lift my head just as my pen freezes on my diary, and give a pointed look.

"Don't compare my obligation to your sick obsession with -" I shudder as the image pops in my head, and suddenly I'm not hungry anymore. There goes breakfast.

I pick up my school bag after shoving my diary and pen in, and while I sling it over my shoulder, Naruto emerges from upstairs scratching his eye groggily and still in his pyjamas.

"School starts in forty-five minutes," I remind him as I pass by him and walk towards the door. "Jiraiya is home by the way."

His nose crinkles and he's suddenly feeling more alert, and I momentarily wonder if I should have given him that piece of information or not. Oh well.

(Five minutes later)

I walk inside first period English forty minutes early and ready to pull out my diary and write some more. I've developed this habit of writing whatever is going through my head and assume would be a cool story, but never really complete it as the gears in my head are ever-changing. I guess I'm still following Kakashi-sensei's rules, and if I had nothing special to write, I would usually add in the slightly more significant times of my day. I should learn to come early more often, as the school was devoid of any noise and I felt a sense of calm being alone here.

Seeing Sasuke there however, was not part of my insanely cool plans.

He turns and stares at me for a moment, and I mentally debate on whether I should leave or not. It's not like I particularly feel something towards him other than the notion that he's weird, but the bored look on his face made me relax, just a smidgen, and I sighed before shutting the door.

I pulled out my diary and pen after sitting across him in my designated seat and began writing. I was surprised that I was able to relax enough with him watching me hawkishly and write speedily, as well as smile in such a content way. I should really come early more often.

"What are you writing?" he questions after a while, and I'm even more perplexed when I barely lose concentration.

"Diary," I respond concisely, still looking down at my rapid pen motions. He is quiet for a moment.

"How could you bring that here?"

I stop writing and glance at him with a raised eyebrow. "What's the problem?"

He gives me a pointed look before shifting his eyes away. Realisation hits me.

"It's not like I have anything to hide," I quip wryly, "I basically write about people I hate, people who force me to do something I consider as outrageous, and random half-stories."

Sasuke eyes me reluctantly, and though I don't really know him too well I assume he's not one to be hesitant, and is more confident.

"Have you ever...let anyone...read it?"

I blinked comically, though wanting to test out my obvious finding answer, "No."

He nods before looking down at the desk, and I catch the deflated look that was in his onyx eyes for a second, proving he was indirectly asking if he could read it. I caught myself smiling as I picked up my pen, and wondered if this was really happening. Usually, if someone could make me crack a smile, I'd automatically consider them a friend, since I never really am open to anything and more guarded than most. I glance up at him and he's still staring at his desk, more forcibly now, and sigh defeated.

"You are such a weirdo," I laugh, and he shoots his head up and has this odd look on his face, resulting in me laughing a bit more. Once calm, I slide my diary towards him and recline back on my chair. "You have about five minutes."

He stares at it for a moment before pulling it towards him and opening it from the back, and I watch his facial expression alter from nonchalance to concentration. It seems like it was only a few seconds before he resurfaced and slid it back to me.

"You hate my uncle," he states curiously, and I am lost in thought for a moment before my eyes widen.

 _"That **bastard Madara** is your uncle?!"_ I explode as he flinched away with wide eyes. It dawns upon us what I had said just a second later, and Sasuke readjusts back to his placid state but keeps his amusement obvious to me.

"Bastard Madara eh?"

I gulp.

Oh what the hey.

"Yeah Sasuke, so what?" I notice how his eyes darken when I use his name, but pay it no mind. "I dislike him. He made me class rep and it feels more like slavery, which I can totally handle if it weren't for the fact that I hate what I'm becoming because of it!"

"And what's that?" he asks, his lips surprisingly twitch.

 _"Visible!"_ I exclaim, feeling a weight suddenly lift off my shoulders after admitting something about myself. "People are noticing me more, approaching me, and I don't want that! I want high school to breeze by smoothly, and I can't accomplish that with them shoving their drama-filled sob story at me!"

Its quiet between us for a moment. I'm busy questioning why I'm not questioning telling him everything. He was a really good listener, most probably because he was a quiet person, but I've never felt remotely carefree in a while. My life has been a whirlwind of crazy, and this breather (sadly being the vampire-wannabe) was refreshing. I'm starting to think that I misjudged him before. Maybe he really is someone I could possibly get along with.

"If it makes you feel better," he pauses, his eyes downcast, "I hate him too."

I smile for the second time today, and that's all that takes him to receive my approval. He said exactly what I wanted to hear. But, I wouldn't be me unless I was difficult, so I deadpanned almost immediately.

"It doesn't."

He looked up, just as students start to file in for class. My diary was long hidden in my bag, my notebook opened in front of me and I doodling seemingly not paying him any attention, when I was really waiting for his reaction. He continued to stare up until Ino came and slid beside me, before looking away dejectedly.

I tried my best to stifle my giggle.

"Good morning Kushina!" Ino beams, glowing like she swallowed the Sun. I mumbling back a short, "Morning," without looking up, but she is evidently not affected as she turns her attention to our other group member. "Good morning Sasuke-kun," she purrs, and I can't help but smile as I continue to draw cubes. Ino was very persistent.

The young Uchiha grunts in acknowledgement.

We sit in silence (just kidding! Ino chatters to Sasuke and I'm busy ignoring them) until the door swings open and two teens stumble in. I say stumble because one of them happens to be wearing heels (which I call inappropriate for thirteen/fourteen/fifteen year olds) and anybody with working eyes know that she surely was not walking in them, and the other is not wearing the belt all male students are required to wear, and his pants sag just a little. The identical green eyes and the way the stand (back straight, chest puffed out) tells me they're siblings, but one's a brunette and the other is blonde.

"Is this C-3 English?" the girl literally screeches, and I wonder, as her red glossed lips stretch in a smirk, if she's doing all this on purpose. Most are engaged in hushed whispering, and I momentarily glance at Ino in question.

"Tanaka siblings," she whispers, and my eyes widen in recognition. They were the infamous Tanaka siblings?

As I probably mentioned before, I'm not that into gossip that doesn't revolve around me, but I can (sadly) say that it would take a severely incompetent person to have not heard of the Tanaka siblings. As per my knowledge, they've been held back one or two years after having caused much unnecessary commotion both on and outside school grounds. I didn't really get into it at all and don't know the complete details, so I am in no place to put down false accusations, but what I do know is that Noriko Tanaka once slapped a teacher for looking at her wrong and Nori Tanaka beat him up. News spread fast then between middle schools. I guess high school is no different.

"Hello!" Noriko fumed, shoving her books to her brother to put her hands on her hips. "I asked a question!"

"It is C-3 English,"Ino answers after a moment, and I fold my arms beside her defensively when everyone divides their attention between them and our table. "Although Kakashi-sensei makes it a habit to be late."

Noriko looks her up and down, before sneering, "You look like a washed-up imitation of me."

Wow. I've never seen Ino this riled up since...well ever. I've never seen Ino Yamanaka pissed off.

"What did you say you-"

"I'm sorry I'm late class!" Kakashi steps in, carrying a stack of blank papers. Ino reluctantly backs off and the siblings remain standing haughtily in the front. His usual excuse is cut short when he notices them. "We seem to have two new students, please introduce yourselves."

I feel cold and automatically face Sasuke when I find him looking at me again. He slides a folded piece of paper from under the table.

I'm your sparring partner today.

I raise my eyebrows, and try to stifle my oncoming laugh. He's such an open book.

Did you decide that on your own? It kind of requires my consent you know.

Huh. I write better than I speak.

He doesn't send anymore notes, and I begin to think it's because Kakashi-sensei put Nori in our group and he sat beside Sasuke, and when I see him eye Hinata who is across the room, I retreat into my shell and scowl at him darkly.

"I guess we should run over how this school works for our two new additions."

I'd very much like to hear how he'd do that in five minutes. Kakashi-sensei is a very descriptive person. Note the sarcasm.

"Sakura Haruno?"

Hah. I knew it.

Sakura stands and smooths out her skirt. From the bright look in her jade eyes, I'm pretty sure she's going to start rambling. The girl was very keen on memorising things.

"The school follows a special teaching system, despite keeping the freshmen-sophomore-junior-senior scheme. Freshmen are divided into three randomised groups, C-1, C-2 and C-3 and interchange between different subjects, as you can see from your schedule. The point of this system is to not only narrow down the students by graduation, but to build up interactions between said students and the staff, as our school believes in teamwork and unity.

In regards to Kakashi-sensei's class, English is traditionally divided into writing and reading, as that will be our main focus for the year, and currently we're covering the 'Aspects of Story Writing' spread."

I subconsciously zoned out pretty much after that, and after a moment of recalling all my classes for the day, she was already done and took her seat.

"Today we will start with creating a character," I narrow my eyes. "Following a set of points I'll write on the board. Originality is a must."

He turns around and starts writing down the points, and soon everyone falls into an ideal atmosphere where the only sounds were the scratches of pencil on paper. It barely takes me five minutes to fill up the basic layout he gave us.

 **Name- Limbo**

 **Age- 17 years**

 **Weight/Height- 148 lbs/6'4"**

 **Appearance- Blue, wavy hair that needs a trim and deep red eyes.**

 **Strengths- Kind and ambitious, as well as goal-oriented.**

 **Flaws- Considered as a gangly, socially-oppressed person, stubborn, fixated easily, idealistic, incompetent, a little masochistic, overzealous, theatrical, vain.**

 **Ambition- To gain the affections of Ruri.**

 **Talents- Can identify flowers and their specific meanings. Great at Origami.**

 **Likes- Ruri, color-coding everything, suspenders, Ruri, Queen, green tea, Ruri, dreaming, Ruri and Ruri.**

 **Dislikes- Anyone close to Ruri, ignorant people, animals, calenders, the colour black, mean people, losing his socks and poetry.**

I don't understand why, but I want to make it a somewhat romantic story, and from the looks of Limbo, he does seem to be very love-struck with Ruri. Meh. If Kakashi-sensei doesn't make us continue this (which I completely doubt it), I may consider writing this in my diary. Especially since he seems like a walking flaw.

From the corner of my eye I notice Nori Tanaka trying to look over Sasuke's shoulder in what I assume is his very sad attempt to cheat, completely disregarding Kakashi-sensei's order, while the Uchiha keeps shifting to hide his work, and annoyed look etched on his face. I don't think carefully when I very obviously flip my sheet in attempt to draw his attention towards me, albeit knowing Ino would be busy doing her own work, before glancing around bored. I don't miss the secret look Sasuke gives me.

"You done?" comes Nori Tanaka's honeyed voice. I'm surprised he has a honeyed voice despite his reputation.

"Seemingly," I drawl, twirling my pencil. Sasuke's hand is basically doing aerobics on the paper as he finishes his work, and I'm almost inclined to remind the brunette new boy of his own.

"And...I'm...done!" Ino beams, putting down her writing utensil. She gives me a knowing look, and after a few resolute moments I cave and we exchange papers. She has done a female character CALLED RURI! Is this some sort of _joke?_ She's exactly how I need her to be if Limbo ever gets his own story; girly through and through. I turn to give Ino an earful, and it seems like we have the same idea because she looks infuriated as well.

"Did you steal my character?" she accuses, though it's light-hearted as we are long-time friends and we are both way used to each other to get any mad.

"Dude! I swear I wrote the first name that popped in my head! This is insane."

"So Blondie stole your character?" Nori Tanaka pipes in, both Ino and I turn with malicious looks.

"Who are _you_ to invite yourself into our conversation?" I speak before Ino, and so she compensates by glaring at him pointedly. He opens his mouth, no doubt to say something crude from his expression, but I interrupt him. "Don't waste your breath if you don't apologise to Ino. I guarantee you she's not someone you should mess with."

 _"Kakashi-sensei!"_ Ino calls as she raises her hand, a vindictive smile cast on her face, and by now Sasuke is done as well and watching the show. The English teacher swings by, his arms behind his back and bends slightly over our desk. Nori Tanaka looks a little panicky behind his glare, and I already know what she's going to say.

"Me and Kushina unintentionally used the same name."

He breathes a sigh and awkwardly looks down at his own work, as Ino gives Kakashi-sensei our papers. He studies it for a moment before dismissing it as a coincidence, as well as re-assuring it would not pull down our grade. After he walks away, Ino shoots Nori Tanaka a smug look, before starting a conversation with a reluctant Uchiha.

I sink in my seat and am about to zone out, my only comfort that never ends, when a realisation hits me.

 _Where the hell is Naruto?!_


	8. 7

I could safely say that I hated gym. Despite popular belief, it wasn't because of the exercise or the sweat, but due to sharing the same breathing space with dozens of other sweaty people. Don't get me started on the uncomfortable shorts. Anything that are above the knees are unacceptable.

The coach himself was a pain. He showed absolutely no professionalism and segregated the students according to his liking. Worst of all, nothing could sway his uncalled for opinion. He could claim a student was lazy and didn't run as fast as the others, and when they prove him wrong, he'd just find something else to poke.

"Naruto, quit being a nuisance!"

Gym was the only class all three sections shared at the same time. This was ideal in a way, as I had more people I could blend in with, but there was no short of weary stares from my history classmates, or whispered rumors of completely false happenings in said class, so I couldn't feel a certain way about it.

"Everybody, laps around the school!"

Laps. The oh so cliché exercise where fellow protagonists chat while the rest of the world disappears off the face of the earth until needed to move the plot along. I wish it were true, only difference I'd like to add-on is the disappearance of everybody but myself, and I'd make certain people appear for fun's sake.

A kid behind me sneezed and I cringed irritably, quickening my pace to put some distance. These people are giving me a reason to shower in bleach later on.

Did I mention I had a rare, insufferable disease called _chronic germaphobia?_

That's what I assume it is, as I clean and organize everything, down to the last nock and cranny, and absolutely loathe unsanitary environments, but I don't really care about viruses and communicable diseases unless I actually catch it. Does that make me a germaphobe? Half-blooded?

"You're running pretty fast today."

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around, finding myself amongst some of the fastest runners who were leading the already panting group. I must have sped up way too much, as I was completely out in the open, prey to all eyes.

"Got carried away," I responded, about to slow my pace a bit to fall back with the sea of students and leave Sasuke with his smirks, when Neji Hyuga ran closer to where we were.

"Let her go Uchiha, if she can't keep up."

I flushed with suppressed rage, wanting nothing more than to pull out my every stocking stamina and speed down the track, before cackling in his dumb face, when I recoiled. That was nothing like me. I would genuinely ignore what I don't like to hear, blaming everything as incompetence and ignorance, but oddly enough, my usual response was not satisfying my rage. It wasn't.

"Lay off her Hyuga," Sasuke snapped with narrowed eyes, challenging him to step up further. He grunted and raced forward, leaving me alone.

"Don't do that again," I frowned at him, before slowing down to fall back with the other students, feeling a little overwhelmed by their intentful stares.

He caught my wrist.

I heard some strangled gasps behind, which further quelled me to pull away, but a look he sent me, one that suspiciously looked like disappointment, caused me to release his hold on me and keep up.

Despite what he assumed, I didn't miss his small smile.

"A thank you would be nice."

"So would a good shower and chocolate ice cream, but it looks like none of us are getting that anytime soon."

I dodged Naruto and Kiba trying to outrun each other, and met Sasuke at the very front of the running class once again.

"How many more laps are left?" I ask, peering over to my left where he ran, before looking away when he turned as well.

"Beats me."

Two laps pass by in silence, and by the third, half the students retire by the evergreen field without question until Ebisu-sensei reluctantly calls off the rest. I see Hinata by the bleachers and jog towards her, ignoring the whispers of a few uncaringly.

"Rough today?"

She looks up with flushed cheeks, for an entirely different reason as I notice her pearly eyes linger to a certain blonde, but I don't question it. Girls and their crushes.

I plop down next to her just as Ebisu-sensei makes his way to Naruto, ready to lecture him again about defacing school property (he had done something to the fountain by the courtyard), and he in turn denies ever doing so, even baring the Uchiha as a 'witness' and barreling him forward to speak.

"K-kushina?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like Sasuke-san?"

"Not really."

And the conversation ended like that.

I grunt irritably as I haul my thick biology text book into my locker after receiving it from Gai-sensei, who had finally got around to passing everyone said textbooks, but just like everyone, I wasn't too thrilled lugging it around, especially after he assigned homework and I'd have to take it with me. For now, it could chill in my locker as I made my way to-

Crap.

I fast walk towards my assigned class, trying my best not to start sprinting like a mad woman in fear of being even a little late, and as soon as I reach it, I release a tense breath as I notice that I have in fact reached in record time, _but nobody else had come yet._

Madara(-sensei) was rolling some ancient maps in the back of the room, and he only glanced at me once before returning to his task at hand. I wrenched my foot off the ground in attempt to start moving and clean the board before he was done and sat down, because in all his classes I ever had the displeasure of attending, he had _never_ done _anything_ besides teach the class and make test papers. He didn't clean the board, or hand out stuff, _or roll up maps for that matter,_ so I didn't quite understand his inclination to do so now.

Wasn't that my job?

 _Does he make me do his work when he sees me?!_

I finish the board and subdue my urge to jump towards my desk in glee, instead walk avoiding his gaze, and only after I take my seat does he take his as well.

"What was the last assignment?"

I swallowed as I lifted my head, releasing a sigh as I found him reading a book and not staring me down with his stone dead eyes.

"Finished chapter six, pre-read the next chapter and questions about the Heian Period."

He nodded solemnly, flipping the page of his book and paying me no more attention. I chewed on my tongue after my daily report, remembering about the questions thing after that and deciding to revise that particular spread once again. Maybe the only benefit I would ever admit is that keeping tabs on what we do and reciting it to him the next day boosted my History grade exceptionally.

Conversation fell short and soon only the flaps of turned pages echoed between us, until a few students began to file in, all tight-lipped and breathing raggedly. As soon as the seats were filled, Madara stood up, a marker in hand.

Soon we fell into a familiar rhythm, up until the door _slammed_ open and in strutted Noriko Tanaka.

And by that strangled cough that came from the back, I wasn't the only one who assumed she had dug her own grave.

I watched as she walked in and _slammed_ the door shut, her heels clicking with each step, before she turned around and faced Madara-sensei with her hand on her hip, her purse hanging from her elbow.

"Is this C-1 History?" she screeched, and as I mentally saluted her as she oh so courageously stared death in his onyx eyes, a hypothetical tear escaped when she _smacked her gum._

He regarded her for a moment, his expression contorting to disgust as she blew a bubble before popping it, before he turned away from her. "Uzumaki."

I snapped out of my daze and faced him.

"Who is _she?"_

I swallowed quickly. "Noriko Tanaka," I responded casually, pretty used to him shutting off the students and making me act as a sole representative.

Aforementioned girl sneered when he ignored her completely. "I'm right here! Don't ask others about me!"

"Is she new?"

"Yeah, she's been here for three days," I affirmed, a little put off by his act to spite her further.

It worked like a charm, judging by the fluster in her cheeks. She directed her scoff towards me, and I tilted my head to the side, regarding her.

"Don't answer him!" she ordered ruefully, her eyes glinting with malice before she turned back towards him, dismissing me. Hinata sent me a saddened look, and I carefully smiled in her direction.

 _She's an idiot._

"Uzumaki, hand her a slip."

I snapped my attention back ahead, pulling out a green slip pre-signed by him from a pad after quickly jotting down her name and the date. I tore it out and handed it to her, and when she glared at me as she took it, I gave her no reaction at all as I re-took my seat.

"What do I get detention for?" she whined, about to screech something else, when Madara-sensei finally hit her with one of his burning glares, silencing her successfully.

"Did you say something?" he asked in a chilling voice, one that made goose bumps erupt in the span of my arms. She visibly stiffened, too scared to respond, her fingers snaking to clutch her bag in attempt to feel secure. "If not, take your seat and keep your mouth shut."

She nodded meekly and sprinted towards a free seat, one that was two spaces behind mine, and after the last of her clicking heels' sound died, the class reformed to its usual structure.

A note dropped onto my desk, and I instantly looked up from my book to see Madara-sensei scribbling on the board. I kept my eyes on his back as I quietly unfolded the note, assuming it was from Hinata to my left, knowing I only needed to glance down once to drink in all the words.

I paused like an idiot.

 _ **You better watch your back, 'Uzumaki'.**_

My left eye twitched as I shoved the threatening note into my textbook and resumed writing after him, a little bothered by her threat as she literally sat behind me. I didn't really know what she was capable of, so I had to be smart approaching it and heed her warning.

As the relieving bell rung for lunch, not a soul sprung up to leave the classroom, as it was not something the Uchiha would take kindly, so everyone patiently waited until he dismissed them, and even then did they file out in an orderly line.

"Stay where you are."

I looked back, hoping that Noriko Tanaka was behind me and he was referring to her, but sadly, I met eyes with him and reluctantly fell back, watching the last of the students pour out.

"Come."

I bit my tongue to keep it in check, but couldn't do so completely as my hands balled at my sides. I stopped at approximately an arm and a half's length from him.

He drank in my form for a while, his eyes trailing down every flinch, until he lifted his hand.

"Give me the note."

I sucked in a breath as I pulled it out my textbook and held it out, my eyes downcast as I flinched a little when he unfolded it completely and read it aloud. And then he did something out of character.

He chuckled.

It was a very dark chuckle, might I add, one that was both pleasant and unpleasant to hear.

"Don't mind her," he boomed with mirth, his only visible, slanted eye widening in accordance to his full blown grin, that caused me to blush a little at how boyish he looked. "She seems like the barking type."

"….alright…."

He waved his hand in dismissal, just as his smile dropped and was quickly replaced by his hardened expression, and I wasted no time in gawking at the sudden change as I fast walked out of his classroom and into the hallway.

The shield I had carefully molded in accordance to Noriko Tanaka's threat shattered defiantly, and I couldn't help but feel like I needed his weird pep talk to lift me out of it.

But what was that all about?


	9. 8

The courtyard was never scarce during the lunch hour, as the weather was perfect for outdoor eating and most students felt overly crowded indoors to begin with. It stretched on for miles, comfortably occupying several benches, a fountain by the assembly point, a small playground for the pre-schoolers that came in the afternoon, and almost the whole freshmen population. Only the upperclassmen were allowed to sit in the cafeteria, which was pretty whack in itself as I see no reason why we couldn't.

I dodged a ball expertly, barely slowing down from my usual pace.

Maybe that's why.

I reached a more quiet area, where anyone who wasn't playing around was, and quietly acknowledged the few I was acquainted with. Shikamaru and Chouji sat under a tree, both eating chips in tranquil quiet, Sakura and Ino were with some other girls a little far off, making what I assumed was bunches of flowers, and then I spotted Hinata, Shino and Kiba seated by some benches, and by the looks of it they were discussing a last minute presentation for (I was straining to see as I kept my pace) English I think. The rest of the students I didn't know where scattered all over, eating or talking, and I found it a little difficult to search for an empty, secluded spot, until I came upon a small patch of freshly cut grass with no occupants and plopped down with my lunch.

"You do know there's a prohibition sign right there?"

I looked up from my cookies and blinked once I found Sasuke towering over me, a bento at his side. I looked left and indeed there was such a sign prohibiting the students from the grass, and after I regarded it for a second, I shrugged and continued to munch on the cookies.

"Not getting up? Didn't think you were that type of person," he smirked as he sat across me, not necessarily on the grass yet not far enough to consider. I barely looked at him.

"You don't say," I replied wryly, saving some cookies for the end and picking up half a grilled cheese sandwich.

He kept quiet and pulled open his bento, and somehow I already knew where this was going, as this has been happening for weeks. Sasuke would approach me, comment about something or the other, and according to my reply, he'd either keep up a feeble conversation or keep quiet entirely. But one thing is for sure- he always approaches me first.

"I got a note a while back," I started, and sure enough, he shot up and regarded me with interest. "From some girl threatening me who is beside the point, uh, _your uncle_ read it and…he-he laughed."

He sucked in a breath and his onyx eyes widened considerably, and I knew from then that his guardedness would be gone.

"You're screwed."

I smiled at him.

 _Mine was gone as well._

There was barely anytime left until the bell would ring and we'd have to go back inside, and though I usually spend it with whomever I find, I wound up staying with Sasuke and genuinely liking his company. He was a pretty decent person as far as it seemed. Not like I'd ever tell him.

"Have you ever thought about becoming a freelance writer?"

I blinked as I opened my eyes, adjusting to the sunlight as I shifted on the grass to face him. We lay by the prohibition sign, surrounded by the empty plastic containers we both carried and a thick earthly smell. Although I knew what he meant as my and Naruto's guardian Jiraiya was a freelance writer himself, I asked him what he was talking about to gauge why he had said it. He responded with a perfectly crafted definition of the word, much like in the intelligent manner Sakura spoke in whenever put forth a topic of interest, but by the sudden disappearance of the gleam in his eye and the lack of passion, I caught on to the fact that he must have memorized it beforehand.

I smiled, and the gleam was back in his onyx eyes, along with a satisfied look.

"Why are you trying to impress me Uchiha?" I asked, my smile stretching when he momentarily stiffened. I didn't need him to answer, as I didn't want to know myself, I only told him so he could know I catch on to these types of things. "I wouldn't like to surround myself with in-genuine people, so tell me if I'm too intimidating to talk to or whatever."

Sasuke openly gaped for a moment, before composing himself, although there was a faint cotton candy tint on his cheeks. "I just wanted to know…" he mumbled.

I sighed. "Not really. I see myself bored of doing it later on, maybe six months from now."

He shifted until he sat upright with his legs folded underneath him, and I couldn't help but think the angle he sat on enabled the Sun to cast a breathtaking glow along his silhouette. He was indeed a very beautiful person.

"Your writing style is interesting."

"I don't have a _style_ as you call it."

"It's a tad too morbid to gain views but it's unique."

"Says you."

"Says me."

"You're basically backing up my claim."

"Of me being right, yes."

The sound of the bell cut off my snide comeback, and by the looks of the smirk stretching on his face, he'd assumed he'd won. I released a puff as I got up with my container and dumped in the nearest trash can before heading in the direction of the door. I felt cool fingers on my scalp and turned around with a scathing look, only for Sasuke to blink solemnly.

"There's grass on your hair," he mused, before continuing his swiping like I had consented. When I realized my glaring wouldn't stop him anytime soon and parted my lips to deliver my outrage, he _petted me_ like a kitten before walking away. He turned around once with a raised eyebrow when he saw I wasn't following along, and when he registered my shocked form he simply smirked and said, "You asked me to be genuine."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks for the first time in my entire life.


	10. 9

"Hn."

"Hn."

"Annoying."

"Tch."

"Aa."

"Hn."

"Whatever."

"Annoying."

" _Annoying."_

" _ **Hn."**_

"I'm sorry to burst your Neanderthal bubble," I speak up, drinking in his irritated state with patience that had been tested one too many times. "But I'd very much appreciate it if you'd expand your vocabulary."

Sasuke rolls his charcoal eyes, before he swipes one of my whole meal biscuits and bites into it rather roughly. He cringes a little due to no doubt the taste, when he leans in and guides the water bottle in my hand towards his lips before tilting it and swallowing down two mouthfuls.

"When I accepted you into my gang, I did not plan on sharing stuff with you," I quip dryly, much like my biscuits, as I wipe the brim of the bottle.

"Your point?"

"Well gosh _Sasuke-kun,_ are you tired of all the attention to the point where you'd abuse your potential accomplice?"

He stares at me with a practiced glare, and I respond with a wide smile, only for him to struggle in holding his contempt in place before he smirks back.

"Exactly; don't fight a losing battle Uchiha – that's lesson one."

"You won't know unless you try, Kushina."

"Boooooo! Cliché!"

"You'd know a few, I'm sure."

My smile drops as I raise an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sasuke reclines back on the grass, glancing at the prohibition sign before levelling his eyes on me. "Hn. Annoying."

The bell saves him, is what I try to convince myself to calm down with.

I almost falter in my cool stride as I enter the surprisingly empty classroom, besides this one dude setting up the art supplies. If it weren't for my perfectionist self, I would've thought I made the wrong turn on my way here as one would think the Art Club would be more populated than this.

"Take a seat," he commands, not paying me any mind, and I almost envy the fact that he didn't notice the momentary wickedness that slipped past my walls.

"I'd rather wait for whoever's in charge," I say instead of the many rebuttals swarming in my head, walking towards a board with a few photographs.

"That'd be me," he chuckles humorlessly, and by the chill in my spine, I'd say he was a little closer than before and looking directly at me. I lift a hand and trace the Polaroid picture of a butterfly.

"If that's the case, I'd rather wait until I take you seriously," I respond, proud of the unamused tone of voice I use, as I move towards an image of a Ferris wheel, admiring the dimness of the light casting upon it as it was snapped.

"That's disappointing," he muses boredly, his shoulder a breath away from mine as he stands beside me. I attempt to ignore him and inspect the other photographs, only for him to point at the one of a family building a snowman and draw my attention towards it.

"What do you think of this?" he asks in his gritty voice, though I wondered why he was asking if he didn't seem as interested as he let on.

I take a look at the picture. "From an artistic point of view, it could mean a lot – a depiction of happiness in seemingly hard times, togetherness and bonds, or if you have a dark sense of comprehension – an illusion, like here," I point to what is no doubt the mother, who's holding a carrot for her daughter while staring at her husband adjusting the snowman. "Her smile seems too uniform for it to be happy; it's more of her deluding herself for a moment before going back to her crisis-filled life of no doubt a dysfunctional husband."

I take a deep breath, finally regarding the boy with a pointed look. "From a normal point of view, it is painfully obvious you're just testing me to gauge my worth when in reality, I've already decided I dislike you."

He turns towards me, all tight-lipped. His fawn eyes narrow ever so slightly. I smirk.

"Extension; a photograph is meant to capture a memory, not to waste your time over the hidden message behind it when in all sense of the definition, there should be none."

"Huh," he grunts, turning away abruptly and further messing his already unruly auburn hair. "This is the first time I'm not sure whether I like or dislike someone."

I roll my eyes. "I don't really care, dude."

He turns around slowly, like a cat about to pounce, but his expression is as blank as the canvas propped next to him by the window.

"And another thing," I turn away from the board myself, acknowledging the three desks between us with gratitude. "I didn't come here to have a sorry spat with the club president – I already get enough of that and then some."

He cocks his head, more coyly than curiously, and the whole silent inspection was putting me off.

"That wasn't a request for you to not talk at all you know," I try a different approach, setting down my bag slowly in a display to show I was adamant in staying. "Just don't appreciate the unnecessary inspection thingy."

He laughs, more like a deep dark chuckle, that startles me a little I almost grab my bag again.

Once he calms down, he is smirking a little yet his eyes are still glazed with boredom, making me believe he was already quite the character. "For someone so eloquent, I didn't expect you to say _thingy._ "

I huff a little, and he chuckles again, so I fold my arms and wait for him to finish.

"What's your name little girl?"

 _That does it._

"Who you calling a little girl, druggie?"

Amusement floods his caramel eyes, finally matching his widening smirk, which only infuriates me even further. "I'm pretty sure you require a wake-up call," I say as I grab my bag, before adding, "Pun intended."

"My name is Sasori Akasuna," he introduces, with a bow and a sweeping of an arm, mock smile and all. "May I have the pleasure of your name, brat?"

My hand clenches on the door's handle, as I regard his slightly bent up face in attempt to look at me and his hand waiting for me to take. I cock my head in the same fashion he did a while ago, thinking the whole situation through, before I make a decision.

Dropping my bag into his outstretched hand, I smile down at him with practiced camaraderie.

"You seem to like degrading nicknames better, so if you'd really like to know –"

By now he had stood straight and a curious look casted upon his face, and I began to think that he didn't have a wider scope of reactions.

"Check the sign-up sheet, _Akasuna-sensei."_

I gave him my back as I turned towards a low cupboard propped at the end of the wall, lined up with miniature wooden puppets and cups of paintbrushes, crayons, and no doubt much more inside. Looking at all those supplies made me a little excited imagining myself using them to my leisure.

If the president didn't decide to kick me out for provoking him.

Eh, life happens.

Speaking of him, I hear the rustling of paper and turn towards him to see him –

"What in hell is wrong with you!" I storm towards him seated on a desk and snatch my diary away from his grubby hands, as well as my bag before he tries anything else. "That's a breach of privacy, like, what are you on?"

He rolls his eyes, leaning towards me whilst propping his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands in front of him. "Kushina is a pretty unique name," he drawls monotonously, as I narrow my eyes. "Very befitting in that case."

"Soooo, some pretty strong stuff?"

He points towards the chair he formerly kicked away to gain more space for himself, and I found myself ignoring his silent order by pushing it further and propping myself up on the desk opposite to him. And from his expression, he seemed impressed; I raised an eyebrow.

"Should I inform a teacher, or are you going to buy my silence?"

"Neither, little girl," I open my mouth to deliver a scalding rebuttal when he interrupts me. "Welcome to the Art Club, Kushina Uzumaki."

I take a deep breath, before slumping a little, more torn than elated. I send him a look before folding my legs underneath myself on the table, accepting this weirdo.

"Well, what's next?"

Sasori smiles a chilling smile, as if he expected me to ask that, before waiting a moment to respond.

"Since no one else showed up, you've been appointed as my –"

"No no no no NO!" he pulls back and his curious expression takes surface. "I will absolutely not be your lap dog as well in any way or form, nope, thank you, I humbly pass."

"Okay then," he chuckles, and from the slightly blank look afterwards, I believe he isn't one to be amused so much in one day. "How about we get to know each other?" he doesn't wait for me to respond as he asks, "So what does a brat like you do in your free time?"

I bite my tongue a little, but can't help the unimpressed look I make and as I see his amused impression flip back on I assume he's noticed the affect.

"I'm a freshman, we don't have free time."

"Ah," he muses, "forgot what that was like – the caged feeling, the dubious amount of pressure."

"Seems like you remember quite well there."

"Why did you join the Art Club?"

"Ah ah ah!" I wag a finger in his face. "It's my turn to ask."

He leans forward, "I wasn't aware we were taking turns."

"Well you did say _get to know each other_ , so keep up!" I swing my sneaker-clad feet after releasing them and letting them dangle. "How many people signed up for your bullshit?"

"That doesn't seem like something about myself."

"Well look at that, you're right! Are you going to answer me or not?"

Sasori stares at me with an expression I haven't yet seen; one that was coldly analytical, for lack of a better description, before he reached into his pocket and fished out a crumpled piece of paper. He outstretched it towards me, and when I reached for it, he pulled back with an amused smirk.

"I'll give this to you when this is over, little girl," he states, mockly holding it in the air to inspect it.

"Hmph, tease," he perks up as I roll my eyes and mumble that, and then I switch my question. "Nod once if you're a junior."

"Perceptive," he scowls, ignoring my request and calmly folding the paper in and out. "Answer my question."

"Well, to be honest, it was initially an escape – a lot of people recommended the Writing Club, but that seemed a little cliché to me, so this idea was born."

He nodded to himself, and before he could talk, I added, "And when I saw those photos, it kind of made me want to go off and thoughtlessly buy a camera to take some myself."

"You have a good eye."

"So you say."

"It's your turn by the way."

"Did you make those dolls?" he lifted his head to look me in the eye. "It seems like it seeing as your very delicately handling things."

"You have a good eye."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "You already said that."

"Seemed worth repeating."

"Right…"

Sasori leaned back and gave me what looked like his full attention, and so I mimicked his posture as a defensive taking.

"Have you considered this as a permanent choice?" he asks seriously, his hand raising to brush through his hair.

"I'm still here, aren't I?" I didn't feel like giving him a straight answer for the simple satisfaction of tormenting him as much as he attempted to do to me, and it looked like it worked. "What's your pet peeve?"

"I hate waiting."

I laugh, which surprises both him and myself included, but I find that I don't hate it. "That somehow fits your whole character, so noted."

"You have a beautiful laugh," he says lowly, and for someone reason, I was able to withstand the inevitable flushing and just shoot him a pointed look. "What do you hate?" he quickly asks, in attempt to pull out of that slip of tongue, judging by the redness creeping up his neck.

"Attention."

He cocks his head again. "That's interesting."

"It really isn't," I argue while masking a yawn behind my palm. "It's as simple as it sounds."

"Weren't you taught how to act in front of your elders, brat?"

"I was," I quip wryly, now staring at my unpainted nails. "But unfortunately, this is as much as you'll get."

Sasori throws the now balled paper towards me, and I fumble a bit before catching it, before he stands up and hands me my bag propped by where he was seated.

"That's it for today, little girl, I'll hopefully be seeing you tomorrow."

I slung my bag over my shoulder without question, while turning towards his retreating back. "Shouldn't I return this?" I ask about the paper, and he waves dismissively behind his head, causing me to huff once again. "Fine _Akasuna-sensei,_ act petty."

"Please," I could hear his eye roll. "You'd know what that is very well."

"It's to show my steadily dwindling respect for you, duh!"

As soon as he turns around, no doubt to engage in….whatever this was, I'm already turning and waving my hand behind my head dismissively. "Seeya tomorrow, Sasori."

I shut the door behind me just as I catch him say, "I look forward to it, Kushina."

What a bum.


	11. 10

"So this is what we're doing now?" I chime, clutching the strap of my backpack and following a pebble I've been kicking ahead of me since we ditched school grounds.

"What do you mean?"

I roll my eyes. He bumps shoulders with me.

"No one's keeping you," he deadpans, stealing _my_ pebble by kicking it before I could get any closer.

"Says you, when I recall the last time I ditched you, I had to look at you pout like a _kicked,"_ I stole back my pebble triumphantly. "Puppy."

He scoffs, but doesn't say anything.

For the better half of a month, the vampire wannabe and I have been testing the waters – the safer and smarter version of getting 'closer', and so far all has been not as bad as I thought. You see, if you don't count Hinata, the rest of my social circle was based off of mutual acknowledging and birthday wishes. There would be short conversations here and there, however irrelevant, but for some reason, I have never tried to go any deeper with anyone, and if that's the case, the other party (ex: Kiba, Shikamaru) would either follow along with this arrangement, or (ex: Sakura, Ino) would push it until it gained some higher tier wherein I had to count them as more. Hinata was the only one who hadn't gone through this, and now Sasuke, who had both settled like the former group, and fought for a better title like the latter, that kind of gave him a whole new league that even Hinata hadn't dared (yet; for reasons that I don't know) jumped into –

The outside-of-school friend.

It happened two weekends ago, when he first invited (drugged and kidnapped me, as I tried to convince myself) to the park on a Friday after school. I forced him to push me on the swings for at least quarter an hour in compensation before we had a little race from the end of the park to the entrance (I'm obliged to admit he won) and called it a night.

The next weekend, Sasuke suggested checking out a newly opened arcade by this printing shop that we later discovered we both frequented during middle school, yet never chanced an encounter.

"See? That's a clear sign I should act like I don't know you!" I beamed as we passed it.

"I used to go there early in the morning – maybe it was because you're lazy?" he smirks, mirth dancing in his eyes.

"No…" I mumbled while looking away with _dammitWARM_ cheeks.

The arcade sucked both our money and most probably our future social life dry.

Fast forward to now, the third Friday we hang out after school, only this time _I_ was the one who asked (whatever he says, I was neither _shy_ nor _meek_ when I did!) to get some ice cream and circle an area I never bothered to familiarize myself with before due to Naruto never having time, or so he claims, and I didn't want to go alone. Apparently Sasuke was well informed about the entire city because of his questionable family, so he agreed to show me around as long as I paid for both of us.

"Stingy bastard."

"I didn't know Uncle was stingy," he gestures towards a road that we turn away from, explaining where it goes to (local mall, park) and how long it would take by foot and car. I mumble a surprised approval.

"I was talking about you," I backtrack to what I last said. "Apparently, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"A deal's a deal," Sasuke points out, taking a left into an alleyway, and I release a frustrated sigh as I follow him. "I'm in the mood for pringles – and a store should be right at the end of this alley."

"The deal was ice-cream, and like _hell_ am I paying for-" my heart drops as I nearly trip over his suddenly crouched form, if it weren't for my grip on his back, and the outraged response that should've followed suit never came out as my eyes landed on a dirty old box.

With an oversized cat lounging in it.

"It's –"

"A KITTY!"

I push him out of my way and steadily close in on her, my hand already outstretched to pet her. Her fur isn't as soft as it should've been, but it's warm, and from her purr of approval I grin with satisfaction.

"You're so big," I say to her with soft eyes. "But that's cool."

"Kushina?"

I _freeze._

"What're you doing?" I don't need to turn as I undoubtedly catch the muffled laughter from his tone, my jaw clenches in response. He crouches besides me while critically eying the cat, before grabbing my wrist and pulling my hand away from her. He nods towards her. "She could be dirty."

"What do you mean _dirty,_ she's a street cat! Of course she's dirty!" I find myself arguing, but he doesn't release my wrist and gives me a schooled expression.

"Don't be like that, all I'm saying is she could be carrying disease –"

" _YOU'RE A DISEASE!"_ I gasp with indignation.

"Kushina."

I roll my eyes and let my hand fall limp in his grip, and he takes it as surrender as he reluctantly releases it. I feel his eyes burning a hole on the side of my head as I forcibly stare at the cat licking her paw and ignore him.

"She's pregnant, you know."

I snap my eyes towards him with surprise, while he is smirking his signature smirk at no doubt gaining my attention so easily.

"Really?"

"You're a girl – it should be obvious."

"Excuse me? What does that have to do with it?" I question with annoyance, before a thought dawns upon me and I smile triumphantly. He raises an eyebrow in question, and I stall it a little by standing up and clasping my hands behind my back. "According to your logic, it would be obvious to a girl, and it was obvious to _you."_

I turn away and head towards the end of the alley like we planned, giggling a little when I hear his annoyed grunt before he catches up to me.

"You're paying for my pringles _and_ next week's 'ice-cream'," he states nonchalantly as he follows me into the store.

"As long as you buy some tuna and milk for Ice Cream," he looks at me with a confused expression, but grabs a can of tuna as we pass the shelves, so I shoot him a genuine smile. "Our pregnant, probably diseased street kitty's name."

I went home, with three new discoveries gaining more significance than the last.

I had gotten a little closer to Sasuke, as usual.

We own a cat (self-proclaimed, but still –).

Sasuke has a beautiful smile.


	12. 11

**AN: Longest chapter yet. Who's feeling it?**

* * *

 _Attention. The regarding of someone or something as interesting and important. Taking notice of something or someone. If it were anything else, literally ANYTHING ELSE, you would have given into it without resistance. You get it – it's inevitable to draw attention; you can't hide away from people's eyes forever, and by expanding past your carelessly built loner persona as well as overestimating yourself, you can blame only yourself for it. You've made a friend, two if you count he who calls you a little girl (and you don't). You've made an enemy, two if you feel like considering she who bullies and she who glosses. You've joined a club, two if you count the room in which you're exposed to ignorance. You've proved yourself 'worthy' – for lack of a better word – to a teacher, two if you count a ruthless bastard. People know your name. People assume your story. People people people._

 _But is it that easy? To accept the inevitable; to embrace the losing title and drop your resistance? You're beginning to open up to one or two people, and it doesn't seem as outrageous as you once thought you did. Maybe it was you who was being outrageous. Maybe you…._

 _ **Lesson Of the Month: You haven't written one in two, actually, because you're content now. Relax and enjoy the attention. Baby steps. You'll get there and hopefullyhopefullyHOPEFULLY won't regret it.**_

* * *

Now that I'm trying to accept attention – not bask in it – I've been noticing the little things. Here's a list:

(1) People either hate Sakura with a passion, or fiercely love her. It's a conundrum I can't solve, so I've come to accept it (I've been doing a lot of _that_ lately). If you're wondering; I'm nowhere near close to hating her.

(2) People are attracted to Sasuke. He's like a magnet and we're all pieces of metal, anxiously waiting for him to turn to us and pull us in with his charm. The thing is, I don't like him like _that,_ but I'm not going to not admit that he's annoying.

(3) Nori Tanaka likes Hinata. More about this later.

(4) Sasori has caramel eyes with flecks of amber in them. I mean, who ever said only women could be called pretty needs to meet him, have a staring competition with him (I'm obliged to say he won, that jerk) and appreciate his prettiness.

(5) I believe that when he gets speechless/surprised, he moves past his only two expressions (boredom-amusement) and settles on a cold, calculating look that no word can do justice. I didn't regret calling him pretty and receiving it.

(6) Noriko Tanaka has been trying to mess with me. Shall not be addressed for self stubbornish reasons.

(7) Kakashi-sensei has been fawning lately, and I wouldn't be permitting myself to wonder why if I hadn't broken the surface and started accepting things. It's ominous.

(8) Ino wants to sleepover. It's as if she sniffed out my turning-a-new-leaf attitude. She invited Sakura too. I don't know whether they're more friends than enemies, or more enemies than friends. But hey; you know what they say – keep your friends close and your frenemies out of closure.

(9) Naruto is making a bucket list. I'm helping. So far, he plans to score the most goals in his football games, woo Sakura, steal Kakashi-sensei's books, get a strand of Madara-sensei's hair, expose Ebisu-sensei (I didn't ask), and get a tattoo on his _stomach._ Gutsy and stupid.

(10) Almost everyone I know has a crush or something along those lines. And I don't. Am I welcome to the idea? No. Will I encourage it? No. Do I prefer my kitty Ice Cream? Yes.

* * *

"Hey, babe, what're you writing?"

I lean back on my chair and fold my list into a small note. "A list."

Ino scrunches up her nose and places a hand on my elbow. "You don't have to do that to yourself."

I roll my eyes as I shove the note into my diary without pulling it out of my bag. If she notices, I've made precautions by decorating the cover in a similar style to my notebooks, so neither Ino nor anyone else could have even a shred of an assumption as to what it is. Once upon a time, I couldn't care less if anyone got their hands on it, let alone knew of its existence. But ever since I stopped writing two months ago, inherently avoiding it and neglecting it, I've just now begun to write more personal things. It's not that I would make a scene if someone read it, but if I could prevent that, I will and I am.

"A list of what?" Sasuke asks against his palm.

"Stuff."

"A list of what _stuff?"_ he counters with a smirk. I roll my eyes.

"A list of unmentionable stuff," I flip him the big L, and even Ino laughs at his appearing scowl whole-heartedly. The seat beside Sasuke remains empty, so the atmosphere is comfortable.

"Good morning class!" Kakashi-sensei chirps as he shuts the door behind him with his foot, a stack of crumpled sheets in his hands and an unusual book on top. The students who were formerly all over the place besides a short few scramble to their assigned seats, and the mood is a little dampened as I realize Nori Tanaka was indeed present, as he claims his seat across Ino and beside Sasuke.

"I've finally found the in-class assignment and even though I was kept busy with correcting tests, I barely managed to read through them all and bring it in today."

"It's been three months," I mumble, folding my arms across my chest and narrowing my eyes at him scrutinizing his expression. He catches my eye and before I can pointedly look away, his own crinkle with mirth. _Bakashi._

"From what I have noticed, there are a few commonly occurring issues in your characters."

Kakashi-sensei places the stack on his desk and after ruffling through it for a while, he removes a sheet and places it separately, and before he hands the rest to Sakura to distribute them.

"The biggest of them was that they were two-dimensional."

Murmurs erupts between the students who got their papers back, as Kakashi skims over the single sheet he had and Sakura rushes hurriedly.

"If your character doesn't have enough flaws, particularly ones that hinder their development, it seems unlikely that the reader would connect with them emotionally – and that's what we're going for."

Sakura takes her seat quickly.

Everyone is either skimming through their sheet, or facing the front of the class.

 _Where the hell is my sheet?!_

"If your character sounds like a brushed-up self-insert, the reader would buy your book and burn it without a second thought; or at least that is what _I_ would do."

 _Did he leave it in the teachers' lounge? His house? Am I the only one without one?_

I glance around as inconspicuously as I can, my hope steadily crumbling as I notice that _everyone else has their damn sheet!_

"And adding points in the same line as past abuse, bullying etcetera does not do what you think it would – make the reader sympathize and connect – and instead does the opposite; especially if you're not well informed on behavioral patterns of such."

After staring at him since I realized I hadn't gotten my paper back, he made it a point to look at anywhere besides our direction! Is this some sort of sick _joke_ he's trying to pull?! Oh, I will _so_ raise my hand and _show HIM!_

"Characters shouldn't also be able to overcome flaws quickly. You can't make them clumsy to be funny, and not clumsy in battle. You can't make them cowardly and then immediately overcome it after some occurrence. It shouldn't be as convenient."

 _NOW!_

"There is a major difference between quirks and flaws –"

 _DAMMIT STOP TALKING SO I CAN SCHOOL YOU!_

"For example, being idealistic and overzealous is a minor flaw, so can be considered a quirk," he reads from his sheet, his eye crinkling in – _oh, hell no!_

"A major flaw could be vanity, fixation in the sense of distraction, and incompetence."

 _No no no no no no NOOO!_

I feel something hit my shin underneath the table, and look up with a horrified expression to meet Sasuke's questioning gaze.

His eyes widen in realization.

"To be frank, the most interesting character I've read from you guys is right here," he gestures to the paper in his hand, while I steadily sink down. "Not only did she avoid all that I mentioned before, she managed to surpass points that I have yet to teach, furthermore giving enough to spike interest and _not enough_ to keep it."

 _I promise to be good and sociable and help Sasuke instead of laughing at his shortcomings and quit calling his uncle a bastard and invite Sakura over and everything else I've ever dodged. I'll quit claiming that I hate you Kakashi-sensei if you do not in any way or form mention me, my name, my entire existence to this class that may already know me but please please please just read it and give to me after class please!_

"Who is it?" Noriko Tanaka asks impatiently, as I wonder how she managed to annoy the hell out of me, even unintentionally. But I knew Kakashi-sensei since middle school, which gave me a little relief, because if he did intend on saying it, he would milk it until nobody cared anymore –

"Kushina."

 _ **ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!**_

All eyes turns to me, and the wave of scrutiny that hits me makes goosebumps erupt on my skin and a knot to form in my gut. I try my best to keep my eyes on Kakashi-sensei who decides to look my way _now_ and not when I was vying for his attention earlier, and there is the telltale crinkle in his eye; I scowl at him in disdain.

"Although I'm very curious as to why you named him Limbo, and picked this particular archetype, I believe there are no further problems in your assignment."

I grumble as they gradually turn away, sitting a little straighter in my seat and tearing my eyes away from him as I stare into my open notebook. I release a breath as I get over it quicker than I would have three months ago (I'm not ashamed to say I hold grudges) and just hope he doesn't read it aloud and draw more attention towards me. When I said I'd accept that more from then on, I didn't mean an entire _parade._

He reads it aloud.

I begin to plot his destruction in my notebook.

"Woah, Kushina, he's literally a walking flaw!" Ino hisses beside me, her eyes glued to the front of the class. "Maybe Kakashi-sensei just likes sad characters."

I ignore the insensitive jab, because it's Ino, and that is ultimately how she is, and her intentions are never really bad either. One of the reasons why we're friends – she knows I don't take things to heart (I try not to).

"Maybe," I whisper back.

As soon as Kakashi-sensei finishes reading my layout, the class is dead silent. He stares at my paper in a way he'd stare at his books – loving and proud (he doesn't read children friendly books; these emotions shouldn't be valid), and I feel a little guilty all over again since he seemed to have so much faith in my writing abilities and had to persuade me for an entire year until I started my diary. He indirectly supported me, you could say, when I believed that it wasn't anything special.

I still don't, but I guess it's gotten a bit better.

I find myself steadily relaxing as he continues to fawn over Limbo, like I was a weary parent and my child seemed to be harmless and not likely to hurt himself, and soon as I was back in my content cloud again with barely-there hints of guilt and resentment.

"It sounds like a self-insert to me," Noriko Tanaka pipes up, studying her nails seemingly uninterested, when I pick up on a slight tug at her cheek as if she was suppressing a satisfied smile. I glance at her, then at Kakashi-sensei, while the rest of the students mutter between themselves in anticipation, and he merely nods towards her as a gesture to respond.

I take a less than a moment to weigh in my options, before settling for, "Doesn't seem so bad to me."

Noriko sits up and faces me. "You think you're _so_ clever, well, have fun being a teacher's pet with _no friends!"_

I shrug placidly, not bothering to face her. "Doesn't seem so bad to me."

" _You bi –"_

"Enough."

I bite the inside of my cheek at the freaky ominous tone Kakashi-sensei uses; the serious edge that rarely breaks surface and commands the fear of anyone unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity, let alone the cause. And even though Noriko was the one who started it, and pushed it, I'm pretty sure I was the cause. And you know what they say – if you want to solve an issue, you remove what caused it in the first place.

Kakashi-sensei scribbles on a pad that looks similar to the one in my bag between my History textbook, and I mentally settle for the fact that I will be getting a detention and miss the Art Club today.

He hands it to Noriko.

I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"Detention for a week," he states quietly, placing the paper on her desk before moving towards his own. The silence is stifling, horribly so, everyone including me is relieved to hear the bell dismissing the class. I know there would be rumours circulating about me today as soon as the first person left the classroom, and didn't much care for it, as I had bigger things to do.

Ino is gone, but Sasuke seems to want to wait for me as I take my time gathering my things, so I tell him to leave without me and he nods and does so.

Soon all who's left is me and Kakashi-sensei.

"You really did well in this," he says with a sigh as the last of the students leave his class, and I approach his desk to pick up my sheet.

"Thanks."

He stares at me, his covered-up chin placed against his hand, whilst the laid-back demeanor resurfacing once again.

"Don't I get a detention?" I take the initiative to ask, as confidently and as indifferently as I can, but he merely shakes his head and continues to stare with his all-knowing amusement painted in his entire disposition, and I find myself getting frustrated. "Well I deserve one as well," I try again, more forcibly, this time he releases his hands and leans back onto his soft chair.

"Are you telling me how to do my job, Kushina?"

"No…"

"Do you not have anything to do after classes are over?"

"Not necessarily."

"Ah, so you want to chat!" he says in delight, sitting up and scooting closer with his chair, I take a step back.

"NO! It's just that it was my fault for initially provoking her and I don't want –"

"Kushina," he interrupts in a tone void of any former playfulness, I'm left helplessly listening as I already know I won't be getting what I came for. "If you let people bully you, I'm just going to have to give out writing punishments and detentions."

"But –"

"I know very well that you have a lot to say," I can't help but huff at that, and his seriousness deteriorates a little. "As long as you say it sometimes, I won't need to intervene."

I look down at my paper, and harrumph a little when I find he covered it with smiley face stickers.

"How's the diary coming along? Does he die in the end?"

"I haven't decided yet, it'll probably come to me at…" I drift off as a thought dawns upon me. How does he know about that?

"Well, in any case, I found you wrote about Uchiha a lot, and got a little jealous I must admit, even though it seemed like you weren't fond of him – so I forgive you."

Kakashi is smiling underneath that mask, I just know it. I find myself agreeing with him, until I process what he said and –

" _You read my diary?!"_


	13. 12

**AN: New character. Guess who?**

* * *

"You didn't have to wait for me," I sigh in frustration, plopping down on the grass with my lunch.

"You're right. I didn't."

I narrow my eyes at him once he shoots me a look, before we fall into a companionable silence as we eat by the prohibition sign. Sasuke seems a little tense (-r) than usual, if his clenched jaw and animalistic bites mean anything, so I find myself debating on whether I should pretend I don't notice it or call him out on it. I decide to sip my juice loudly instead while staring at him intently, until his brows furrow and he grunts irritably.

"I can't come with you today," he confesses after a beat, eyes avoiding and fingers idly picking on the poor grass underneath him. I almost ask him to stop. It isn't like we don't go see Ice Cream every Friday for the past two months, we don't go to the arcade, he doesn't show me around the streets, or we don't go to the park – because we do exactly that. One Friday isn't going to matter, unless –

"You're worried about Ice Cream," I state rather than ask, watching a flock of birds fly as a constant. It's been two months she's been pregnant, which means she could give birth at any moment now, and by the slight flinch I see I was on point.

"Yeah…I'm worried about _her."_

I raise an eyebrow at his tone. "So you're _not?"_

"Whatever Kushina," at this I look at him questioning, but he waves his hand dismissively so I sigh and swipe a cherry tomato from his bento as revenge; he surprisingly lets me.

"Okay, is there something I should know?"

Sasuke stares at me for a moment, as I gesture for him to spit it out, before starting cautiously, "Do you know Itachi?"

"Yeah it's hard to ignore rumours about him when they're so constant and extensive," I admit boredly, rolling the tomato between my fingers as I admire how smooth it is. "But honestly, even though I've never really met him, he seems like a try-hard kiss-up to me."

I glance at Sasuke when I don't receive a response, only to find him smirking to himself as if he was satisfied with something. It was ominous.

"It seems to me that you hate my family members."

I straighten and my eyes widen. "No _way!"_

His smirk stretches. "Way."

"What in the actual _hell?"_ I screech. "Why are all you Uchihas so _weird?"_

His elated expression drops faster than I've ever seen.

"You think I'm weird?"

"We have bigger problems Saucey," he glares a little harder and I smile a little wider. "What is he to you? Better yet, why are you telling me this?"

He packs his empty bento sluggishly, avoiding my eyes before he puts it aside and gives me his attention, so I roll my eyes. "He's my elder brother, and I asked him to get you the supplies since it is my turn."

"AWW!" I lean forward and grab his cheek, tugging it like he was a five year old child who did something nice. "You're such a good daddy!"

He starts to struggle, so I grab his other cheek as well and shake his face from side to side. "You don't have to be so shy!"

"Are you done?" he doesn't wait for my response as he swats my hands away and pins it together on his side. "Itachi is going to get you the stuff and don't freak out if she isn't there –"

" – because she's searching for someplace to pop 'em out, yeah."

"Oh?" he raises an eyebrow of amusement. I roll my eyes.

"Don't look at me like that; I know how to use a library."

"I'm not that surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

A bell is rung by the school doors, indicating that the students in the courtyard get back indoors to continue with the classes, so Sasuke refuses to release me until he pulls me up, and from his expression, he doesn't plan on addressing my question, so I elbow him.

"So _peaches_ means I'm indifferent, and _guavas_ means I want to bury him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks after a moment, a suspicious look painted across his features that seem to rise when his brother is the topic of discussion, but I merely shoot him a peace sign and leave him without a response.

And I feel guilty about it. _How the hell does he do it so casually?_

* * *

When I arrive at the alleyway, I release a relieved breath for two reasons. One is that Ice Cream is still lounging in her box and hasn't left yet, and two is that I managed to find this place _without_ Sasuke. That calls for some ice cream with Ice Cream.

"Hey Ice Cream," I cross my legs as I sit an arm-length away from her, as per Sasuke's unimportant instructions, and scratch her behind her ear since he isn't here to stop me. "You seem to grow in size every day; why don't you just push 'em out and claim your figure again?"

I believe her purring is her way of proclaiming her undying love and gratitude towards me, so I grin in satisfaction.

"Daddy couldn't come today, but of course, your ever diligent Auntie is here and kind of doesn't _have_ your tuna yet."

I yawn a little and stretch, before checking my watch.

"I don't believe I took long."

I cock my head in his direction, what seems to be no doubt Itachi Uchiha since he resembles Sasuke quite a bit, carrying a small plastic bag and his book-bag. I gesture for him to pass me the tuna, and when he makes no move to do so, I narrow my eyes.

"Thank you," I say slowly, raising an arm.

He clears his throat, before placing his hand in my outstretched one and shaking it. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Itachi Uchi –"

"I know who you are."

He smirks a little similar to Sasuke, only his is horribly ominous; I find that I'm leaning towards _peaches._

"Your name is notorious at school, it's too hard to ignore," his smirk widens, as if he's pleased by my statement, so I quickly add, "Sasuke's brother."

I fight off my smile when his expression drops. It's barely a second, but I manage to catch it, so I wonder what his motives are when he seemingly refuses to hand over the can of tuna and be on his way.

"Ice Cream kind of needs that," I try again, pointing at the plastic bag.

"You're Kushina, right?"

I raise my eyebrows. "Do you just casually talk to strangers until you question who they are?"

He abruptly sits down, albeit it was an oddly graceful display, and _finally_ hands me the bag. I scowl at him.

"Took you long enough."

He's quietly observing, as I notice from the corner of my eye, as I open the can and place it in front of Ice Cream, who sniffs it and decides not to ravage it immediately.

"You seem like a lovely person."

I turn to him in order to tell him _exactly_ what I make of that remark, only to stop in my tracks when I find his face mere inches from mine. He strongly smells like a minty aftershave, and I feel goosebumps erupt on my arms that I forcibly blame on the weather.

"How come I've never met you?"

I startle him with my sudden laughter.

He doesn't move away, not in the slightest, but his expression shifts according to his curiosity. Once I calm down, I fold my arms across my chest, forcing some space between us while dropping my smile.

"I kind of understand why Sasuke behaved weirdly when he mentioned you," I take care in watching his reaction as I continue, but it seems to be stuck on a smirk. "And when it seems like you have everything, you can't leave his friends alone?" his eyes narrow slightly in calculation, but I don't stop there. "I'm not as incompetent as you believe – I knew what you were doing the moment you started and let me just say that for a try-hard kiss-up, you added _horrible older brother_ to the list."

Itachi Uchiha leans in further, until our breaths are mingling, but I refuse to react and give him the satisfaction so I remain as placid as I can.

"You seem to have me figured out," he whispers darkly, his hand coming up to cup my cheek, his onyx eyes holding contact with mine, leaning in a little more. "Anything…else you'd like to add?"

I take a deep breath as he caresses my cheek. "I may be wrong and you could be looking out for him."

His hand freezes.

"In your own, twisted way, you may be trying to keep him from getting hurt by doing _this,"_ I let my eyes gesture towards his hand on my cheek. "But since I don't like you, I'm going to settle for horrible older brother instead."

I shake his hand off and stand up.

"I hope your reputation and looks doesn't fail you again," I nod towards him as I dust myself off. "And thanks for the tuna."

He stares at me with his suddenly chilling smirk, and I stop in my tracks and narrow my eyes suspiciously at him.

"You're my new plaything," he states as nonchalantly as if he were talking about the weather; I _bristle._

" _Excuse me?!"_

"I will be seeing you soon," he promises darkly, ignoring my outburst, I wonder if I wrecked his face would Sasuke ever forgive me or not.

"You're lucky as _shit_ that you're Sasuke's brother, otherwise I'd bash your head in," I turn away before I see his reaction, and frankly I didn't care for it, as I had planned on avoiding him as well as I had before.

"I'm luckier now that I've met you."

I roll my eyes and walk away, not dignifying him with a response besides –

"Tell Sasuke I said _guavas."_

* * *

 **AN: Muses are _horrible_ things.  
**


	14. 13

**AN: I'm parading him around. Sue me.**

* * *

Sitting up abruptly and tearing off the duvet, I pant as if I ran a marathon and rub on my eyes with frustration in attempt to erase all signs of a nightmare. It takes me a good minute to gather my wits and lie back down, seeing as I had two more hours before I needed to get up and get ready for school, and no way was I planning on thinking about it.

Annoyingly, irritably, irkedly so, I do anyways.

I quietly trudge down the stairs in the dark, hands ahead of me to guide me as I make my way to the kitchen. On my way, I notice a mess of white on the couch and purse my lips to muffle the scream of surprise that would've otherwise erupted from my lips, before counting to ten and continuing towards my destination as noiselessly as ever and then some. Thankfully, Jiraiya doesn't stir when I look back as the kitchen door creaks open enough to allow me to slip in.

A hundred and seventy-nine heartbeats later, I'm on the school website on Jiraiya's laptop in incognito mode, searching for one particular thing – Itachi Uchiha's records.

There's more than I expected.

He's a legend and just a junior, as the first article says, and his achievements are unrivaled. Sedulous, hardworking and persistent, yet enigmatic, a natural and calm. He's considered as a polite and humble individual with little to no arrogance, and with all sense of the word, the ideal leader.

Bullshit.

Even though I met him two days ago, for fifteen minutes tops, I could firmly say that he was more than what he let on, and boy did he drop that act and twist it around like it was absolutely _nothing_ to him, and despite that, despite the fact that I was notorious for handling myself well, I knew not to overestimate him. That would be my downfall.

As I make my way downstairs for the second time today, only this time adorning the school uniform and carrying books and homework instead of my pajamas and slippers, I pass by the living room fully intending to skip breakfast and get something from the vending machines at school.

I only rush out of there faster when Jiraiya asks who's been using his laptop without his knowledge.

I shiver slightly as I trudge down the ever familiar path to school, courtesy of a typical December morning in Konoha, before grumbling to myself for forgetting my scarf for the umpteenth time. I would let my hair down to keep any semblance of warmth in, but since it was slightly long, it was deemed a distraction so I had to keep it up. And it took me a while to put it in the single most _perfect_ bun I've ever rolled in my entire life and a white headband to further elude it's perfection. So suffer I shall.

I reach the school fifty minutes early this time instead of the usual forty-thirty, due to the fast walk I initiated to not freeze to the death, and sigh in relief for the first time ever when I find Sasuke seated in the classroom. He seems to notice it, since his eyebrows raise and his smirk appears.

"One Friday and you're already happy to see me?"

I roll my eyes as I take my seat across from him and dump my stuff. "Don't put emotions that aren't there Saucey."

His smirk strains a little as he attempts not to drop it and lose what I assume is the opportunity to bug me, so I save us both the time and ask, "Did you get my message?"

"Yeah," his smirk leans towards a genuine smile, which kind of throws me off a little.

"So when some girl threatens to bury your brother, you _smile?"_

He rolls his eyes and I demand for him to stop it.

"It was nice to see him disoriented for once," Sasuke confesses as he leans is, now a full-blown grin brightening his face and lighting up his charcoal eyes. "What did you do to him?"

"I…"

"Kakashi's class."

Sasuke freezes. My jaw clenches.

"Been a while since I've seen him – wasn't he a middle school teacher?"

I'm purposely staring at my notebook on the desk, refusing to give him any attention, when a shadow huddles above me and a long, slender finger slides against the wood, tracing circles next to my notebook; not long before two large hands place themselves on Ino and Nori's side of the table.

"What do you want Itachi?" I distinctly hear Sasuke's choked question, surprise paints over my otherwise emotionless shield as I catch the unprecedented _anger_ and _fear_ laced around his brother's name as it falls from his lips, and I wonder for a moment if Itachi really was _horrible._

"Now don't be rude Sasuke," Itachi's smooth voice chirps a little closer than I anticipated, making me shift uncomfortably. "You haven't formally introduced me to your _friend."_

He says the word 'friend' as if it were an anomaly, like he didn't quite believe it.

"What're you _talking_ about?" Sasuke questions with confusion, I catch his gaze and watch his eyes harden as all notions of his frustration crumble as if it were never there. Suddenly, his relationship with his brother seems like it's none of my business.

Why was this happening in front of me, and neither were willing to take it elsewhere then?

Itachi turns to me as I notice from the corners of my eyes since I refuse to turn away from Sasuke, and he sighs as if this is all just one big nuisance to him and he wasn't the one to walk in here of his own free will. Or stay for that matter.

"Don't mind my _foolish little brother,"_ he says coolly, his breath fanning against my cheek so I'm aware he'd somehow managed to move closer faster than I could intercept, and judging by Sasuke's burning obsidian infernos that are now his eyes, he doesn't seem to like him at all. "It's a wonder how he managed to gain your favour at all."

"Careful," I interrupt what was evidently Sasuke releasing his boat of what I'm sure now isn't _anger_ and _fear,_ but _infuriation_ and _jealousy._ So that gives me some insight as I finally face Itachi, who looks like he's hanging onto what I'm about to say, so I smile a saccharine smile, further garnering his curiosity, and say, "It sounds like the big bad wolf is terribly jealous."

His devilish smirk drops like hot potatoes. My smile threatens to split my face.

"What is it? Unfathomable why Red Riding Hood would _always always always_ prefer her dear grandmother?"

I'm aware of Sasuke's unreadable expression, just as I'm basking at Itachi's clenched jaw.

"It's because you're _horrible,_ and disguising yourself as something so blatantly obvious _it's freaking insulting_ you're not , won't hide it."

"Kushina –"

"So put away your big teeth," I raise my hand to stop Sasuke from intervening, my tone so sweet it's _sickening,_ and somewhere at the back of my head I wonder why I'm doing this. Getting in between their spat. "Take your big hands off this desk, avert your big eyes, before I shove off my hood _and pull out my axe."_

It's deadly quiet after my little speech, just as I expected to be, but it drew out until the air was choking with tension and anticipation and Sasuke was staring at Itachi and he in turn was studying me and I just wanted to run off and face Jiraiya instead. At least there I would know what was going to happen and how it would end and eventually long forgotten and forgiven.

It seems like forgiving and forgetting wasn't in their genetic make-up.

"Misson _guavas_ is a success," I face Sasuke and nod, and I pretend like Itachi isn't even there and he still remains on his toes as if he's sure it was a matter of time until Itachi swung back. "I'm moving on to _peaches,_ seeing as I couldn't care less anymore."

Itachi _laughs._

I'm caught off guard. Sasuke's isn't surprised.

"Oh sweetheart, so you once _cared_ for me?"

I stand up abruptly. " _What?!_ No I –"

He catches my chin and I'm too _stupefied_ by his proximity and disposition that _screams_ masculinity and dominance to move away, _fight back,_ that I just stand there like he's not inches from me. His smirk is horrifyingly dark and devilish, and there's a fire in his onyx eyes that _burn_ with an emotion I don't want to decipher, and for one _horribleHORRIBLE_ moment, I expect him to kiss me.

He does something equally worse.

"The moment you manage to lose my interest and drive me away, you say something that pulls me back and _mesmerizes me._ "

"…..huh?"

"Just kidding!" he exclaims with a chuckle, releasing me and walking off like nothing happened. I stand there absolutely _stunned_ and can do nothing but watch his back as he retreats. He turns once and mouths something above Sasuke's head so he wouldn't know, before shutting the door for good.

I sit back down across from Sasuke after a few moments, and he neither says anything or shows a shred of emotion on his face, that I retreat back into my mind and helplessly replay Itachi's secret words –

" _You never lost my interest."_

* * *

 **AN: Someone is stirring up some drama. Humour me - what do YOU think Itachi's going to do?  
**


	15. 14

**AN: One more introductory chapter (Chappie Fifteen) and we'll have things moving along.  
**

 **That's NarutoAddict's talk for draamaa. I can't wait to reek havoc!**

* * *

 _Nothing is truly infinite. New, old. People come, people go. Stuff happen, stuff forgotten. Information taken, information replaced._

 _So why do we invest in meaningless things that would likely not last? No one will look back and care about failing a math test, losing a friend, making a fool out of yourself, so why bother throwing a tantrum about the end of your social life, when you could just mull over it and move the hell on? You'd think that setting up a blank canvas would help, but you and I both know you're reading this Akasuna-_

"No sense in caring, as you so eloquently put," he muses above me, and I don't need to turn around to know he's hovering. "Such emotions are finite, right?"

"Don't you have dolls to play with?" I snap back, shoving my diary into my backpack and standing up to relinquish the space between us. "Or would you like to lose another staring match?"

He sighs irritably. "You win _one time_ and I never hear the end of it."

I shoot him a smile. "Some things _can_ be infinite."

"Today's assignment is you have to capture something that is infinite to you, eternal and everlasting if you may, and explain why it is to you."

"That sounds difficult," I moan with a pout. "Can't I just wait around for the others to come and then we can get down to business?"

Sasori is watching the footballers by the window, but from the angle of his shoulders he doesn't really have to turn around and face me for me to know that he is smirking that lazy smirk of his.

"We've been delaying this for a few months now."

"Well it isn't my fault the others who signed up have been skipping this, but I would prefer to think that you should start those serious-ish assignments when we're all together."

I stick a photograph of the colourful sky yesterday during sunset on the board after making sure I signed the bottom as he so forcibly demanded I should start doing. It becomes the eighth photograph I had personally taken and hopefully many more to come as I had fallen in love with photography since the day Sasori gave me the school's camera (it was old and worn and the newspaper committee only let me have it once a week) to use. Let's just say I'm actually enjoying the Art Club.

The completely un-serious part of it.

You see, four other students signed up for this as well, but none have showed up, so Sasori and I have had the most unconventional Art Club you could imagine, besides the few times where he'd take _some_ responsibility and assign something to me and the photography. I'd evade his assignments and he'd occasionally make me assist him in his 'craft'.

Marionettes. Dolls. _Yeah._

"And speaking of the others," I turn away from the board just as he turns away from the window in acknowledgement. "You did ask about them, right?"

A dimple appears on his left cheek and I subsequently roll my eyes. He hasn't.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, I couldn't care less if they came or not, and I'm sure as hell not going to ask around for them, besides…."

I raise an eyebrow as I fold my arms. "Besides…?"

Sasori looks away. "Things are good as they are..." he mumbles quietly.

There's a beat of silence between us, a moment longer than it should've been seeing as he faced me again with his cold-calculating expression on full blast, so I take the initiative to sling my bag on a shoulder and make my way towards the door with determination.

"Where're you going?"

"To ask the teacher in charge of the after school activities," I reply earnestly, shooting him a smirk. "You know, facing the inevitable since everything is finite."

"Arrogant brat," I catch him mumble as I close the door.

I easily navigate towards the teachers' lounge, assuming that should be the most plausible location of the person I'm looking for, but my confident march and blank expression cannot fool me into thinking I'm not nervous as hell because…

 _Let's not._

"Ah, Kushina!"

I jump away from the door as if it scalded me, before frowning at Kakashi-sensei who seemed like he was on his way to it. His visible eye holds a cheery mirth, as he shoves his hands in his pockets and nods at me in acknowledgement.

"I was looking for the teacher in charge of the Art Club," I say, putting all my weight on one foot and folding my arms.

"Well he's out to run some errand," my expression falls for a second, before I straighten myself and prepare to turn away, when he quickly adds, "but he'll be back soon, so in the meantime, I'd like to show you something."

"That isn't ominous at all."

I grumble when he shoots me a look to follow him as begins to walk away, nonetheless I do as I'm told.

The walk isn't uncomfortable in the slightest, but it should have been anyways considering the fact that it was probably only a few doors away from the teachers' lounge and Kakashi-sensei was _humming_ like a little girl despite his cool stride. I sigh in relief when he swings the classroom door open and doesn't notice the smile currently splitting my face in two.

My smile drops.

"Welcome to the Writing Club!" Kakashi-sensei announces proudly with a dramatic swing of his arm. "Children, look alive, here comes the author I was talking to you about!"

 _Oh hell._

As Kakashi-sensei pushed me in and shut the door, I'm ashamed to say I resembled a wild animal cornered in a losing fight, eyes darting in every direction, a threatening sneer on my face, and my hands clenched and in a defensive position in front of me. The fact that I spot Hinata doesn't quell me, as I notice Nori right next to her with an annoyed look, and his arm almost a breadth away from her. As if this couldn't get any worse, I see my writing assignments as well some excerpts from my diary-stories all over the board, which makes me feel exposed in a way that I never thought possible. I almost want to scream.

"The infamous author is Uzumaki-san?"

My eyes dart to the back of the room involuntarily and I attempt to take a step back, only for Kakashi-sensei to catch my shoulders to stop me. For a split second, I wonder if Sasori would burst in through the window and save me. Maybe then I'd feel a little less regretful and a little more appreciative of his wise know-hows.

"Oh, don't be so shy Uzumaki-san! The Writing Club welcomes anyone who's willing to learn how powerful words can be!" chirps the devil politely, as he makes his way to the front of the class. "I didn't know you enjoy writing."

Kakashi-sensei pushes me along to meet him half way. "You don't know half of it."

"I….I need to…." I stutter as I shrink against everyone's quiet judgement and collective gazes. I feel my eyes begin to water, and I don't get much time to dwell on the fact that I suddenly felt upset and wanted to _sob_ of all things, because the devil clears his throat and his onyx eyes narrow with delight.

"You didn't say she was introverted as well, Hatake-sensei, but I guess it comes with her peculiar writing."

 _Hold up. Back up._

"Peculiar?" I echo quietly, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Itachi Uchiha shoves his hands in his pockets in a manner similar to his younger brother, only his belt is visible as his shirt is tucked in neatly and his hair is tamer. He wears a polite smile and he keeps his eyes roving around instead of intensely staring at me like he's known to do. It's as if a whole new devil is standing before me, only much more deadly than the last.

"Your writing is very engaging, not to mention well-worded and natural, only the recurring, dark undertone is a little…overwhelming? For lack of a better word of course!"

" _Sure."_

Itachi blinks comically.

There's a sharp rap on the door before it swings open and a mess of auburn hair peeks in sluggishly. I stop myself from running towards the bored-looking teen, jumping into his arms and asking him to vanquish the evil Uchiha, but I can't stop the relieved smile that paints across my face when we make eye contact, and his slowly appearing smirk doesn't falter either.

"You've been gone too long, little girl," he makes a waving motion towards him, not even sparing a glance to the tight-smiler, to the porn-reader, or to the gawking class. "Come along now."

"Bye Kakashi-sensei!" I wave as I walk backwards, before shutting the door behind me, only to find Sasori bowing dramatically with his hand outstretched for me to take, as usual, so I decide to humor him and let my hand get lost between his.

"I recall asking you to let it go."

"I recall not giving a shit."

"I recall you making me wait."

"I recall still not giving a shit."

"I recall you being relieved when you saw me."

"Nope."

He glances at me. "Nope?"

I swing our arms. "Yes."

He stops and twirls me. "Are you going to listen to me next time brat?"

I steady myself and smile. "No, but I'll be sure to take you with me!"

"Hmph. Arrogant brat."

* * *

 **AN: Don't tell me Sasori isn't a bomb character.  
**


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